


He'll Learn More Than I Ever Thought He'd Know

by Wheezefeeds



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Aliens Made Them Do It, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Build, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, but they started it, not really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-13 09:38:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7972045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wheezefeeds/pseuds/Wheezefeeds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doctor Leonard McCoy didn't like space. It caused too much trouble, especially when strange aliens decided that they knew him better than he did. A soulmate? Definitely not. [ON HIATUS - NOT DROPPED]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bones is Tired

**Author's Note:**

> So I know this is a little short (I haven't even introduced Spock yet, what??) But this is only the first chapter! And I have a lot of love for my space babies, so expect a lot more. But please, let me know if you like it so far, or see any mistakes. It's not beta read.

It was a well known fact among everyone aboard the Enterprise that Doctor Leonard McCoy hated space, and just about everything do do with it. Or, to be more precise, he hated the trouble that it always seemed to cause the ship's crew, and by relation, him. He was just a simple doctor, yet always somehow ended up getting roped into dangerous missions, or even those that were just overtly strange. As an aging man, he didn't know how much of that sort of treatment his heart would be able to take. It seemed like almost every other day he was having to save Jim from some injury or disease, and it didn't help much that the boy seemed to be allergic to almost everything on any planet they could find. Spock wasn't much better, though Leonard did at least appreciate that his choices leading to bodily harm were thought out. Even if he did think the thoughts behind them were damn stupid. He knew that the Vulcan had his reasons for rushing into danger, while the captain just seemed to have a sort of affinity for it. Not that he'd tell Spock that, though.

Now that he thought about it, Leonard was coming to the conclusion that the both of them were bad for his own well being, and that he needed a drink. Shift was over, but that never meant he was headed straight for bed. Papers needed to be signed, reports needed to be filed, and there somehow never failed for there to be an occasion where he was called back to sickbay for some sort of medical emergency. He always counted himself lucky if it wasn't either of the two thorns in his sides. A problem with one of them tended to mean a problem with the ship, and those were meant to be avoided at all costs. Their success rate with that seemed to be significantly low, however. 

Sighing, trapped in thought as he went, Leonard moved almost silently through the halls. Not that it was necessary. Alpha shift had ended a couple hours ago, and Gamma shift had long since been in sessions. The halls of the Enterprise seemed devoid of life. No doubt that was due to the fact that they were all sleeping or on duty. All in their proper places, unlike the doctor. That wasn't unusual though. Sleep often eluded Leonard, although the reasons tended to vary. Nightmares, an excess of work, a mission gone wrong. Everything seemed to take away his private time, and had eventually lead to something of a permanent set of dark circles. 

He'd said it before, and he'd say it one hundred times over; Five years in space was hell.

 Though, he had to admit that there was an entire list of reasons that kept him up there. Jim, for one, needed someone that'd memorized his health report, and would be able to patch him up. His famous 'hands that never shook', for another, had been thanked more than once after a surgery, although he always brushed the compliment off. He'd been practicing for years. A steady calm in the face of a life or death situation wasn't something that just came naturally to him. And who would be around to antagonize Mr. Spock, if he decided to leave the ship? Jim would be around, sure, but that was far from the same. They had settled down and changed from the rough and strained working relationship, into an easy friendship. The captain didn't push his first officer's buttons nearly enough to satisfy Leonard.

He shook his head to clear the cluttered thoughts out of his mind as he reach the door to his quarters. He called the lights out to a lower setting in a voice that somehow ended up as a yawn by the end of his sentence. He wanted to sleep, but knew that his PADD was probably piling up the papers he needed to review or read through. Another quiet sigh slipped past his lips as he moved to the desk, opening one of the lower drawers to retrieve the bottle of whiskey he kept hidden there. While he was sure that everyone on the ship was aware that alcohol was in his possession, he felt better hiding it away. It made him feel more like a proper CMO, rather than a junior officer who couldn't stand to part with the pleasures that accompanied steady ground under their feet. Perhaps he could admit to himself that he relied on his drinks a little too much, but others didn't need to know that.

Settled down in a chair with drink in hand, Leonard pulled up his PADD, and began sifting through it. It was a mostly menial task, but it kept his mind occupied and would probably make him exhausted enough to sleep like a baby until his next shift. Or, it had been mostly menial until he noticed an older report from the day before stating that the Enterprise was currently en route to a planet in an attempt to convince the inhabitants to join the Federation. Well, that wasn't really a new mission for them, and from the description of the planet's inhabitants, it didn't seem to be dangerous. Though, Leonard had long ago learned to not underestimate a situation, and he especially never let his guard down when they approached a new location.

He placed the empty glass onto his desk then, standing up with a short, but satisfying stretch. If Jim had set them onto a path for another mission, then that was all the more reason for him to get as much rest as possible. Anything could go wrong, and he preferred to not be exhausted if it did. He dropped the lights down to an even lower setting, so dark that he almost couldn't see what he was doing as he changed out of the regulation uniform and into something more suitable for sleeping. And with a much larger yawn than before, he climbed into his bed, closing his eyes to pitch blackness, and drifting off into a light sleep.


	2. Planet Zetzer-B2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard's told he is to join Jim and Spock as part of the landing party, much to his displeasure. Why can't he just stay on the ship where he belongs? He's a doctor, not an explorer, Dammit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spock has arrived! It's actually difficult to write him?? I hope his character is alright so far. Please enjoy the second chapter, and let me know what you think! <33

Leonard found his morning to be entirely normal, which was appreciated when his life tended to be anything but. He took a quick sonic shower before throwing on his uniform. He was due for his shift in the next ten minutes, so his path to the sickbay was one of leisure. He wasn't being rushed, and took the time to appreciate that. Ensigns were rushing here or there, obviously far more worried about being where they were meant to be on time. A few of them noticed his presence and stopped to give him a greeting, but he waved them off with a small, yet somehow still exasperated grin. It was far too obvious that they'd rather still be on their way, and were only stopping out of respect for a senior officer.

Upon arrival, he nodded his head in greeting to M'Benga before making his rounds around the bay, checking the few patients, and the operation of the biobeds. Everything appeared to be in order upon inspection, so Leonard retired to his office.

He'd barely had the chance to sit down before the suspicious noise of chattering came from back out in the main medical bay. He wasn't surprised when a few moments later a person arrived at his door, and he bid them entrance without moving from his seat. No surprise that it was Jim. Very few others made the effort make a visit all the way to his office.

"Bones," the man began as he waked up to the desk that Leonard sat behind, "I hope you received the information about our latest mission?"

Of course he had. How could he not? Even if he had somehow missed the report on his PADD, there was no way that Jim would give up the opportunity to come pester him about it while they were both meant to be working.

"Did you come all the way from the bridge just to make sure I knew we were summoned to a new planet?" At the man's confirming nod, the doctor couldn't help but to roll his eyes, although there was some fondness behind him. His friend was an incessant bother, but it was something that Leonard had long since gotten used to. In fact, he was sure that he'd eventually get bored without the man around to bother him. Though, if that was worth the heart problems he was surely suffering, he wasn't positive.

"Well, I also came down to chat, since you've been working so late lately." Jim batted his eyes, trying to look cute, no doubt. "I've missed your pretty face, Bones."

Said man scoffed, shaking his head. "Ha," he said dryly. "Well I've been having the time of my life down here without anyone but M'Benga, Chapel, and the patients on the beds to bother me."

"Now, you know that's not true. You miss me, and Spock, and everyone else on the bridge, you grumpy old man." Jim argued immediately. Even if this 'argument' was all in jest, he was certainly taking to it with a lot of passion.

"The bridge and the people on it are the reason I'm always so grumpy." That was a half truth, but didn't need to be gotten into at this exact moment. Spock and Jim were mainly the people he was referring to, although he did tend to seek them out more often than would be normal for those he claimed to be so bothered by. 

Well, they were all friends, weren't they? Spock and Leonard still held a strained relationship, but it had lost some of it's edge. Their arguments held less bite, and most of them were caused simply because it was habit, and interacting any other way seemed too weird. The last time he'd chatted with the Vulcan without glares and harsh words, the pointy-eared bastard had been so delirious he'd laughed. And afterwards, they'd simply reverted back to how they'd been before the whole ordeal. Why ruin a good thing?

Jim didn't seem to notice Leonard's momentary lapse in attention, for which he was grateful. "Well, either way I want you on the bridge at 1300 hours. We should arrive by then, and I want you to be a member of the landing party." The man always said something like that with such finality, Leonard couldn't help but to be annoyed. He was a doctor, not an explorer. Did the planet's natives need medical attention?

"Me? What for?" He questioned, because he was sure that Jim knew he was wondering anyway. Might as well ask and just get it out of the way. Though, he had an inkling that the answer wouldn't be helpful.

Damn, he hated when he was right. "Because I want you to." Jim said with a bright grin. "It'll be fun. Nobody wants to be holed up on the ship all the time, and besides, the planet's supposed to be pretty."

With a simple sight, the doctor agreed. "I'll be there."

"Great! See you in a few hours, Bones." With a wave, the man back out of the CMO's office, and wore a grin that made it seem like he had an ulterior motive. Leonard knew that he probably didn't though. Jim just tended to be the sly sort of guy, when he put his mind to it. He was attempting to get under his skin on purpose. With that knowledge, it was easy to brush off the encounter and even almost forget about it. He'd known the man for far too long to be bothered by the things he did.

1300 wasn't too far into the future, and it seemed like an absurdly short amount of time later that he was leaving the sickbay in the hands of M'Benga, due to having been called upon the the captain. The other doctor was used to it by now, and he wished Leonard luck with the landing party.

Spock, surprisingly enough, was the first to turn at the sound of another being walking onto the bridge. Jim appeared to be trapped in a particularly intense conversation with Sulu, so Leonard turned to go towards the Vulcan.

"Doctor." Was the simple greeting he was given, accompanied by a slight inclination of the head. "I assume the captain has informed you that you are to join us on the planet's surface." he said, although it wasn't phrased as a question. That only meant he knew damn well what Leonard was there for.

He indulged him anyway. "Came to my office this morning and said he wanted me to come along." The doctor said with a slight huff of exasperated breath. 

"I am sure he appreciates your company." Spock replied, although his gaze was focused on the equations adorning the screen before him, rather than on Leonard himself. And oh, there in those words was just a perfect example of how the interactions between them had changed. He was a bit lost for how to response, so instead just shook his head.

"I'm sure he's just doing it to annoy me. He knows I'd rather stay here." 

"Perhaps it is both?" This time, the Vulcan spared a glance towards the doctor, and Leonard saw the telltale sign of a raised eyebrow, though his tone was as flat as usual. He huffed again, but this time it was tinged with humor. He'd gotten better at reading Spock, even if just slightly. That was a joke, but the other would never admit to it if confronted. 

"Maybe." Was all he said in response, musing over the fact that he knew it was probably correct. Jim hated giving up an opportunity to drag Leonard along somewhere, and also loved finding every possible chance to tease him.

Jim found then to be the perfect time to break away from his previous conversation, and came over to join the two science officers. "Hello, Bones. Glad you could make it," he said cheerfully, like they were going to a party, rather than beaming onto the surface of a strange planet.

"Oh, I'm sure. What exactly am I going down there for?" He asked, looking between the two of them for an answer.

Spock was the first to respond to the inquiry. "You are to oversee the health of the landing party, due to the planet being home to an unusual array of flora that the Federation is less than familiar with." Again, his focus didn't seem to be on the man he was talking to, and that was a bit vexing. Leonard at least deserved to be looked at while being spoken to, didn't he?

"So I'm making sure nobody blows up like a balloon because of some strange pollen? Lovely," he grumbled with a small scowl. "And I imagine there will be samples taken, and then brought back onto the ship? That only makes my job harder, you know."

"I do not believe the Praublents will be so willing to allow pieces of their land taken unless the meeting goes as is planned." Spock interjected, which pulled a nod of agreement out of Jim.

"Spock's right. We have to get them to agree to join the Federation first. Then the science team can go down and take what they want for samples," he added, his tone joking, although Leonard knew his words to be true. Hopefully, nothing too dangerous would be brought along that he'd end up needing to find a cure for later. Though wither their luck, that probably wouldn't be the case.

"How long before we get there, then?" Leonard looked to the front of the bridge, attempting to find out for himself before he received an answer. 

"Mr. Sulu says that it should be anytime now." Jim says, beating him to it, looking to the pilot as he speaks. 

It's only a few moments afterwards that it's announced that they're reaching the atmosphere. Leonard immediately heeds the warning given and sits down in one of the chairs, watching as everyone else who had been standing did the same. Sulu thankfully brings them down nice and easy, and from what he can see the planet is very... well, had it been Earth, he'd say green. Lush with trees and foliage, giving an overflowing aura of beauty and life. The only problem was that the colors were off. Instead of hues of greens and browns, the ground was covered by purples and pinks. It was very strange to see. Familiar, yet entirely different. At the very least, the place didn't appear to be too hostile, and even seemed welcoming. It helped but Leonard at ease, even if only a little.

"Welcome to Zetzer-B2." Sulu announced, once the ship had reached the ground safely. Leonard breaths out air that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in, and lifts himself up to his feet. 

"Well boys," Jim hummed, gesturing to Spock and Leonard, "We have a planet to visit."

The two give each other a look behind their captain's back as they follow the man off the bridge, leaving things in Sulu's control until they were to return. 

They met in the transporter room with Scotty, and the two security guards and two science officers who would be joining them down to the surface. Uhura walked in only a few moments later, and only then did Jim lead the group onto the pad. Leonard was the last to follow him on, and did so with a slight amount of reluctance. He didn't like transporting, just as much as he didn't like being in space. 

"Scotty, eight to beam down." The captain said, looking around to make sure everyone was into position before giving a nod to the man seated at the controls. "Energize."

Only upon feeling solid ground beneath his feet again did Leonard open his eyes to a vast land of nothing but plants and foliage. Pinks, purples, blues, and even the occasional green dotted the land in an assault of color that made him feel vaguely uncomfortable. It was almost like the planet was too nice. He couldn't help but feel like something sinister was hiding beneath the pretty colors.

"Fascinating." Spock said quietly next to him, pulling Leonard away from his train of thoughts. 

"Huh? What's got you so intrigued? Is it the colors?" he wondered aloud, leaning only slightly closer to the Vulcan, in an attempt to see the readings on the PADD he appeared so focused on. Apparently, he'd discovered something wonderful enough to catch his interest.

"What we are currently standing on is alive." Was the answer he got in reply.

Leonard looked down, confusion marring his features. "The grass? Grass is always alive. It's a plant," he said, not believing that Spock could possibly be so interested in something quite that obvious.

In return, he got a small shake of a head. "Yes, plants are living, but that is not what I had meant." He turned the PADD towards the doctor, letting him see what it showed. "It is alive. Breathing, such as you or I would."

"Well that's just odd." Is all that Leonard says, after a moment's pause. Great. Now he was going to feel bad for walking on the ground. Would the grass feel it? Would it hurt?

Stuck pondering the moral problems of taking even a single step forward, Jim was able to approach without even being noticed. "The Praublents should be here to escort us soon," he said casually. "Best behavior, Bones."

Leonard tossed him a look that said the man was crazy. "Follow your own advice, Jim." He said, before diverting his attention away from his feet and the people around him. The place really was quite a sight, and the air supplied a freshness that no amount of purifiers on a ship ever could.

It was only through his observations of the land around him that he noticed the approach of a large group of creatures. Were they floating? He prayed to God that that wasn't the answer he'd been seeking regarding the state of the grass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow me at aykimra.tumblr.com, or my main blog Double00Mogar.tumblr.com  
> I'd love to know what you think so far! If you spotted any mistakes, please let me know. This has not been beta read.


	3. Dinner will be served shortly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The landing party is lead by the Praublents to their home, in order to wait for the feast and meeting to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh... what even is this chapter? It's mostly scene setting and filler, but that's good, right?   
> Anyway please enjoy. Leave a comment and let me know what you think, please! <33

Leonard stared at the approaching figures, confusion and curiosity knitting his brows together. If he had happened to look behind himself, he would have noticed the other members of the landing party doing the same. Or, at least most of them would be doing the same. Spock probably had some look of blank interest on his face. He never did show much emotion, but that was rather normal. He'd long since began to get used to it, although it did bother him quite frequently.

"Those are the Praublents, right?" He asked, being the first to break the silence as the natives drew closer.

"Indeed they are, Doctor," the Vulcan replied taking a small step forward to stand on Leonard's left, and he appreciated the fact that he didn't have to look behind himself to see who was speaking to him.

Jim and Uhura were the next to approach, and they stood before the group, waiting to greet the Praublents. Apparently, their language was significantly close to Klingon, and the communications officer was thought to be needed as a great assistance in translating the finer points of their language. Leonard, for one, had no issue with the woman coming along, and was in fact grateful. If there was a language he didn't know, he'd want her there to put it into standard. She was trustworthy, and damn good at her job. Sometimes, it was even scary.

On the other hand, he wasn't quite too sure about how Spock was feeling having to work in such close quarters with her all the time. Their relationship had been strained for quite a long time now, and while unwilling to show any form of emotion, he knew that the Vulcan couldn't not be bothered by such a course of events. Uhura only spoke to him in clipped sentences, although to an outsider they would appear as nothing but polite. It was those who knew them, that could see how something had drastically changed. Even if he didn't know what that was, Leonard could tell anyway that it was all going wrong. He'd been through it all before, and could see the signs as easily as he could see the ones for Andorian Shingles. If anyone were to know, it would be Jim, but it wasn't anyone's place to pry. He wasn't going to go around asking everyone he knew what had happened between the two. He could understand and honor the desire for privacy.

Words he was far from understanding brought Leonard's attention away from the two officers in front of him, and drew his line of vision forward past them, to the creatures who'd finally arrived. The report had been correct in the statement about the language's similarity to Klingon. He wasn't well versed in the language, but could hear a difference from it all the same. Somehow, the words of the Praublents seemed to flow through the air like music, high in pitch and beautiful. Leonard was stuck with a distinct memory of wind-chimes being blown through a summer breeze. The sound certainly fit their image, floating as they were in long white cloaks. He would have compared them to angels, but knew that could only be far from the truth. Still, his attention was captivated, and he watched who he assumed to be their leader speak to Jim.

With a translator in hand, he was able to understand the words that flowed around their small group. "Welcome, Starfleet. It is our honor to host you here, on our home."

Leonard watch as Jim responded with a small bow of his head, introducing himself. "The honor is ours. We are pleased that you wish to join with the Federation." Ah, he always seemed so different when acting the part of captain. Like he changed into a completely different person.

A sound like laughter filled the air from the same Praublent who had spoken before. "It is simply in our best interest, is it not?" Apparently, Jim didn't give an answer soon enough, for they continued on. "My name is Salvana. Let us go on to our home, and we can discuss things in a more comfortable setting."

Jim nodded his consent to the idea, and turned his head to look at the landing party gathered behind him. "Let's go," he said with a grin, to which Leonard huffed at. Spock looked towards the doctor with that raised eyebrow of his, before stepping forward, making himself the first to follow after the captain and Uhura. Not willing to be left behind, he made himself fourth in the procession line. He still worried about what the Vulcan had said about the grass, but the planet's inhabitants hadn't said anything about it. Though whether that was due to the fact that the grass didn't feel pain, or they just didn't know, he wasn't sure.

He walked quietly behind the group, but he wasn't the only one. Being on a different planet with an unfamiliar alien race often had ways of making the entire landing party hush up. It was a matter of caution. After all, for all the friendly ones they've met, there were an equal amount of hostile memories to counteract those experiences. Leonard definitely didn't wish to be the unlucky person to accidentally say something offensive. It was best to just stay silent until spoken to, until a better understanding could be made of what was acceptable, and what was not.

With nothing better to occupy his mind, Leonard took to getting a better look at their surroundings, and he could see in front of him how Spock was doing just the same. With a mental burst of laughter, he couldn't help but to think that was only _logical_. The landscape was simply fantastic, and the Vulcan wasn't one to pass up an opportunity to observe anything amazing. It would simply be against his nature to stare down at his feet while they moved. Leonard couldn't fault him for that. He found his own eyes constantly moving, not too sure what they wanted to focus on.

Far in the distance, so much in fact that they'd become fuzzy and difficult to focus on, were mountains. If they'd been closer, Leonard would have sworn that they were made of silver, if the shine glinting off of them was anything to go by, but he couldn't really be sure. He had no idea what any materials on Zetzer-B2 actually were - he'd have to ask Spock or another member of the science team to be sure - so he couldn't say with confidence what the main component of the mountain was. However, it shined brightly enough in the light of the planet's sun that he was reminded of a reflecting mirror, and had to look away and focus on something less blinding.

Closer to the group, he noticed something very similar to a running river. In fact, he didn't see anything that would set it apart from the streams that could be found on Earth. Bright blue, and crystal clear, it actually looked rather refreshing. But still, the main quality of the area that caught his attention were the bright colors of the trees. 

In fact, the strange beauty of it was enough to captivate the majority of his attention until they finally came to a halt in front of a more civilized looking establishment. If speaking only of mass, Leonard could have perhaps compared it to a city. Large buildings of various shapes, sizes, and heights. The only thing that betrayed the modern feeling was that it was obvious that they were constructed out of the trees and plants from the environment. Meant to blend in, then. Why that was, he couldn't be sure. However, he did know that they'd done a damn good job. From far away, he was sure that the buildings would have blended into the horizon. The colors were only slightly faded from having been worked into place, and forced to remain over what were probably long periods of time.

"Welcome to our home." Salvana practically hummed, beckoning them all forward past the outer ring of buildings, which appeared to be something like family houses to Leonard's passing glance. The tight-nit structures gave off a personal sort of feeling, like the inhabitants all knew each others, and couldn't be bothered by being so near all the time. In a way, it reminded the doctor of his old home in Georgia. That whole 'everyone knows everyone' vibe. He tended to treasure those feelings. They were rather hard to come by these days.

Leonard could hear talking from the front - most likely Jim and the others attempting to find out as much as they could from the Praublent leader. The answers sounded vague or noncommittal to the doctor, though he wasn't putting much focus on the conversation or it's direction, and instead chose to simply listen, like it was background noise. He only picked up snippets here or there, such as the names of foods he didn't recognize that would be served at the upcoming feast, or a fact about the natives' history. What he would have preferred to hear was information regarding the mysterious plant life that Spock mentioned as having a chance of harming the crew, but he doubted that Jim, or any of the others would have an interest in _that_. If anyone would, it would be the Vulcan, but for the moment he seemed content to just listen and look around quietly, much like Leonard himself. Oh well. He'd have to strike up a conversation with one of the Praublents later. After the feast there would be plenty of time for diplomatic chatting, and that would be the perfect opportunity to try and find out something useful, just in case someone ingested something they were allergic to. Most likely, that someone would end up being the captain himself.

As they moved closer to the inner portions of the city, Leonard noticed how the buildings were becoming larger and more complex, although their materials stayed the same. Surely, it took a lot of time and thought to form leaves and sticks into houses like these. He was positive that the Praublents had the capabilities and resources to use metal or other materials, so they must have chosen to do it this way instead. Certainly, the way they blended into the landscape was remarkable. Just more questions to ask at the feast, he supposed. 

"And here," the words drew his attention forwards to the largest building he'd see yet, "Is where you will all be staying, and where the feast will be held." A hotel then, was perhaps the best way to describe it. Although, it didn't tower up with multiple stories, but instead billowed outwards with what Leonard could only guess to be a multitude of rooms. "If your group would like, Captain Kirk, you may all be escorted to your rooms before the meal at sunset." With a quick glance at the sun, which was significantly low in the sky, Jim nodded his agreement. 

"I am sure that would be much appreciated," he replied, glancing back and catching both Leonard and Spock's eyes, and watching as the two nodded. Certainly, the doctor would appreciate having a chance to become more accustomed to his surroundings before being sat down to what was surely to be a tense diplomatic dinner. They were always uncomfortable to attend, especially if those they were speaking with didn't serve alcohol. 

"Wonderful. You will all be given separate rooms, although they will be directly next to one another." Salvana said, directing with one hand the Praublents behind them. "They will escort each of you to a room. Please let us know if anything is not to your satisfaction. You will be alerted when the meal is set to begin."

Jim nodded once. "Thank you again. I'm sure everything will be just fine for all of us." And with that, he followed behind the group that was meant to show them their rooms as Salvana and a few of the others moved off in the direction of a different part of the building. 

The inside didn't appear much different, although the walls were rougher and more natural in appearance than they were outside. The wear and tear of weather and other conditions just didn't exist to smooth the leaves down. Fire was being used to light the halls, and that just seemed to be the worst sort of safety hazard, so Leonard prayed that it was some type of synthetic.

They turned into a new hallway, and only one Praublent stayed to accompany them as they stopped in front of the first wooden door there. "Captain Kirk, this room has been prepared for you." said the Praublent, who leaned forward and pushed the door open. Jim thanked them and took the few steps inside to check the place out, giving a brief goodbye to Leonard and the rest of the landing party before shutting the door once again. Then, they continued down the hall again, stopping at each door as they were told who the room would be housing. Leonard knew they had only prepared the first room specially, so assignments were a tad pointless, but it wasn't something he found himself bothered by. Whether he was at the front of the hall or the end, all the rooms were probably the same. 

He couldn't help but to notice though, that Uhura was directed to stay next to Jim, and Spock continued down past multiple doors afterwards. If it was a coincidence or not, he didn't know, but perhaps it was better for them that way. They both scowled more that usual, and Leonard didn't really like it because he could tell the Vulcan was actually upset, rather than just being his normal disagreeable self. And while he liked to push Spock's buttons and tried to get a rise of him constantly, he did it out of good faith. It was their way of teasing and joking around, and Leonard was treated just the same by the Vulcan.

He thought it over a bit as he watched each one of the team disappear into a room, until only he and one other was left. Of course, it was Spock. The Praublent gestured to said person as the stopped once again. "This one is for you," then turned to Leonard, "and the one adjacent to it will be yours," before bowing slightly. "I hope they will be satisfactory." 

The doctor waved him off, but also inclined his head in respect. "They will work just fine," he said, to which Spock agreed, bowing slightly as well. Apparently satisfied, the Praublent took their leave.

"Well Doctor," Spock hummed, turning to face Leonard with his hands clasped behind his ramrod straight back. "I believe I shall retire to my room until the feast begins."

He nodded. "I guess I will too," Leonard agreed. After all, there was nothing better to do on an unknown planet. "I'll talk to 'ya later, Spock." And with that, he turned and walked the few steps down the hall to his own door, pushing it open and stepping inside.

The room was pretty simple. One large area contained a bed, a table, and a large chair fitted with rather comfy looking cushions. Off to the right side was another door, and he assumed a bathroom of sorts sat behind it. Upon inspection, he appeared to be correct. It was small though, and contained nothing resembling a shower, or even a bath. Not that it mattered too much, since they weren't expected to stay for long. One night at most, depending on how the treaty discussions went. 

Leonard briefly wondered, as he walked over to the bed, whether or not Jim's room was fitted with a more luxurious bathroom and sleeping place. After all, he was the captain, and most of the planets they visited observed some sort of hierarchy of their own. It wouldn't be surprising if they gifted him with the best facilities they had. At least the one he'd been given was soft, and actually rather comfortable. In fact, he was almost sinking into the mattress. What was the thing made of?

He laid there until a quiet knock sounded at the door about an hour later. Standing and brushing his shirt free of wrinkles, he walked over and pulled it open, fully expecting one of the Praublents to be standing - or rather, floating - there in order to tell him that the meal was ready. He was a bit surprised to see Spock standing there instead.

"Doctor," he interjected before Leonard could speak. "I have been informed that the feast is ready to begin. We are to go to the main hall now."

With a nod, he stepped out, shutting the door behind him. The two walked side by side down the hall, going past doors to rooms that were presumably empty already, if they had all been called already. "I didn't expect you to be the one to come get me, Spock." Leonard said casually, attempting to make conversation out of the silence.

"The Praublent who had come to inform us all seemed rushed with other tasks, so I told them it would require no effort to make sure you knew the feast was to begin." Spock said simply, glancing over at the doctor as they turned out of the hallway, and into a much wider one.

"Well that was real sweet of you." He teased with a little satisfied grin. 

"I do not think-" The Vulcan began to argue, before a hand was raised ever so slightly to halt him.

"It's a compliment, Spock. Don't worry about it." While it may be normal for them upon the Enterprise, it probably wouldn't be best for anyone who didn't know them to see two Starfleet officers arguing with one another while at a diplomatic meeting. It wouldn't reflect back well on Jim, or the Federation, and they always found ways to get into trouble anyway. Leonard didn't need to be the cause of anymore.

"Of course, Doctor." Spock said, inclining his head once with a nod, having probably come to the same conclusion. And with that, they walked quietly the rest of the way to a large set of double doors, and pushed each one open before stepping inside the main dining hall.


	4. Pointless Arguments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner has been served, and it is time to talk about joining the Federation. However, the Praublents have a small request.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally we're getting to the good stuff. Are you ready for some classic Bones and Spock arguments? They were certainly fun to write...  
> Anyway, please let me know if you're enjoying this so far, and thank you for reading! <33

Leonard's first impression of the main hall was that is seemed very similar to the rest of the building, although somehow managed to be more grand. The ceilings were high, and as they went up, the sizes of the leaves which made up the walls increased. Looking straight up, it could appear as if he was standing underneath a canopy of trees, rather than a constructed building. The same fire - whether synthetic or real - lit up the area, although there was a large pit of it suspended in the middle of the room to match the smaller lanterns that were situated evenly around the perimeter. A large, round table took up almost the entire room, and sat directly underneath the pit of flames. 

Their entrance had drawn a bit of attention from those inside, as they were the last to walk in, though Leonard didn't really find himself bothered by the stares. He doubted they were late, as Spock had been the one to retrieve him.  Slowly, the large door shut behind them, and the two officers approached Jim and the rest of the Enterprise's crew.

"Nice of you to join us, just on time," the captain said with a slightly raised eyebrow, making himself look astonishingly like Spock. It was actually surprisingly annoying.

Leonard had been ready to respond, but the Praublent he remembered to be the leader - Salvana, they were named - beat him too it, and called the attention of the entire hall with their loud, but somehow gentle voice. "Now that we have all arrived, let us sit. Our meal is ready, and there is much to discuss."

With a curt nod, Leonard followed the direction of one of the Praublents, who instructed him to sit on the left of Jim. Spock sat on the right of the captain, and the rest of the landing party fanned out around them. Salvana took a seat directly across, and the rest of the seats quickly filled with what the doctor assumed to be other important members of the planet's society.

Food was brought out almost immediately, and Leonard could honestly say that he didn't recognize any of it. He noticed some meats, but a great deal of the dishes were quite obviously plant based. He looked over them cautiously, remembering the fact that the reason he'd been brought along was apparently because the foliage on the planet could be hazardous to the crew.

"You're not meant to detect danger, Bones. Only help if something does happen," Jim whispered with a little chuckle, leaning closer to the doctor, so that his words weren't heard by anyone around them. He must have had an obvious expression on his face, if what he was thinking of could be figure out so easily.

He huffed in irritation. "I can't fix anything if I don't understand the problem," he argued back in a whispered tone, although he knew completely that what he was being told was true. There was no way that he could figure out anything just by staring at the food. Most likely, if anything did go wrong and someone turned red like an apple, then he'd just have to improvise. Not the best sort of medical practice, but he'd had to result to that often enough to have gotten the hang of it, even if he did loathe it.

With all of the dishes that were to be presented sitting in their proper places on the table atop rather large leaves, Leonard sighed, and watched as those sitting around him began selecting that which they were going to take a portion of. Really, it was polite to sample every dish, but the Praublents must not be too strict, as he noticed a few - such as Spock - only taking a few things. The Vulcan was quite obviously choosing only the plant based meals to ladle onto his own leaf, which was functioning exceptionally well as a plate. Apparently, everything here was made out of completely natural materials. He'd ceased to be surprised anymore.

Methodically, the doctor placed small portions in front of himself, and visually inspected each one before taking an experimental bite. Everything tasted very herbal. The flavor of it all was so strong in fact, that it was almost unpleasant to eat. However, he avoided making any sort of face so as to not be rude, and instead thanked his lucky stars that he'd not served himself too much.

He looked over his shoulders as the other members of his crew, and couldn't help to notice that most all of them seemed to be facing a bit of difficulty as well. Some were better at hiding it than others. Spock was managing to keep a rather wonderful straight face, but Leonard assumed that it was just from the years of practice. There was no way that the Vulcan could like the flavor the most out of all of them.

The meal was taken in a peaceful quiet, with only whispers of talk from those sitting directly next to one another floating around to be heard. Sitting next to Jim meant that Leonard was certainly not facing a lack of conversation, though he did occasionally divert his attention to the other side of the table where the Praublents were sitting. They were surprisingly, almost boring to watch. None of them seemed to be talking at all, and were instead simply sitting, keeping to themselves and eating their respective meals. It seemed rather odd, as nothing changed over the course of the feast. It was almost like they were statues.

Though, once the remaining, uneaten food was rushed away and the table was clear, Salvana lifted themselves to full height, apparently ready to address the hall.

"Now that we have feasted, let us talk."

Oh, here was to come the portion of the evening where Leonard was to keep quiet. It was far better to leave the discussions to those such as Jim or Spock, who were much more talented at it than the good doctor, who would likely end up sticking his foot in his mouth.

"Before that however, we have an ultimatum that must be accepted first."

Leonard's eyebrows rose closer to his hairline, and the corners on his mouth turned downwards. Any deal presented which would have to be accepted generally lead to nothing good. He was weary of what the Praublents would ask for, and he could see that the others were as well. Jim let his stoic expression drop for a moment into one of worry, and even perhaps suspicion, though he got rid of it quickly enough.

"And that would be?"

"We have a tradition - a ritual - which we call 'the binding of souls'," Salvana began, "And we would ask that some of your crew volunteer. It is a symbol of trust, respect, and faith in our culture and history to undergo this ritual, and it would be appreciated by us all if you were to extend that same respect before the forming of this treaty." They explained in a calm, even tone of voice.

Leonard, practically instantly, was too suspicious for words. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the group of Praublents with downright distrust in his eyes, although he was smart enough to know that voicing his displeasure wouldn't make much positive progress.

"And this 'binding' of souls would do what exactly? You can surely understand that I value the safety of my crew, and wouldn't want to subject them to something without knowing if they were in harm's way." Jim's voice was just as even as Salvana's as he spoke formally, obviously trying to stay calm and work out an explanation as peacefully as possible. Though, Leonard could tell that he was doubtful about the strange ritual as well.

"Perhaps you have a better word for what I speak of, that would make an explanation easier," Salvana hummed thoughtfully, looking to Uhura, who had been sitting on Spock's right.

"From what I can tell, a better translation of the word 'Soul' that they're using would be 'soulmate'. The ritual would be the bonding of soulmates, not just any souls," The woman said, looking directly at Salvana as she spoke, like she was attempting to figure something out.

"Soulmate," Salvana mused. "Destined lovers, yes? Indeed, that would be a good explanation of what the ritual name means."

He scoffed lightly. "And this ritual would, what, bond somewhat to their soulmate? What does that even mean?" Well, there went Leonard's vow of silence. Though, he was probably only asking what everyone else was thinking.

Salvana didn't look put off by the question, although they did look at him curiously. "Whoever participates in the ritual would be given the leaf of a special plant to eat, which would initiate the ritual. It is rather simple, for the only thing to do afterwards would be wait."

"Just... wait? Wait for what?"

"A mark would appear on the body. It would be harmless, and wouldn't interfere with daily life. However, it would reveal the other half of one's soul."

Leonard's eyebrows furrowed together further than he thought would have been possible. "Reveal?" He asked, prodding for a further explanation. He wanted something that would make the situation seem less ridiculous than it did in that moment.

"This mark that is to appear," Spock cuts in, obviously harboring his own inquiries. "It will reveal one's soulmate? What form would the mark take to do such a thing? Would it be their name?"

The Praublent shook their head once. "It is not that simple. The mark will appear as a symbol, or perhaps a short phrase that represents the soul."

"And if we do not understand the meaning behind the symbol?"

"Eventually the event, or soul that reveals the meaning to you will appear, and then the mark will become clear."

Leonard crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back into the wooden chair, which gave a warning about the extra pressure in the form of a creaking noise. "So this plant will just read our souls and understand who our match is?" He was a simple doctor, and while he'd seen many strange things, there were still some situations he couldn't imagine.

"If you do not believe, you may be the once to undergo the ritual. There will be no pain, and no damage to your body. The only change you should notice is the new bonding mark," Salvana suggested, which made the doctor's eyes widen in surprise.

"Excuse me, but I must protest." Surprisingly, Spock spoke up immediately, a familiar expression marring his face. It was one of displeasure. "Leonard is our Doctor, and while you say the plants aren't dangerous, we cannot be sure that there will not be negative effects to the human body or mind. Binding the souls is not something that is normally done. We should not risk his falling into bad health."

"You suggesting that someone else should do it instead, Spock?" Jim questioned the Vulcan.

"I will do it."

Oh, no. Absolutely not. "Like hell you will, Spock!" Leonard hissed through clenched teeth, turning to glare at him and momentarily forgetting their company. "Are you forgetting that you're half human? Your genetics just increase the risk."

"I am forgetting nothing, Doctor. And as a Vulcan, my mental control puts me as a far better candidate for a process that would bond two souls together."

"You are a Vulcan, correct?" Salvana interrupted their argument with the same calm voice, making Spock turn to face them properly once again.

"I am."

"Vulcans engage in mental bonds. I must inform you that the bonding of souls would be more complete. Mind, body, and heart would all be brought together in a far more complex way than just thoughts. Although, the full effects would not be felt until the souls properly meet one another."

Leonard got the sense that a deep intellectual conversation could be had about the intensity of Vulcan and Praublent bonds, so he simply brought himself to his feet. They were getting nowhere, and the treaty hadn't even been discussed yet. This needed to be taken care of first, and there was a single, simple solution.

"I'll do it."

"What? Bones, no! Let's talk about this for a second."

"We've been talking, Jim," He huffed. "It's not getting us anywhere. I don't see any reason why not. Nobody's had any negative effects from the food, so this plant can't be too different."

"Doctor," Spock interjected, but Leonard cut him off.

"It'll be fine, Spock. If anything happens, M'Benga can handle it." He shrugged. He wasn't the only good medical officer on the ship.

"Maybe. However, that does not change the fact that there should not be anything to heal. I shall do it instead."

"We're not gonna have this argument, Spock." Leonard said with a frown. He knew damn well that they were fussing like children in front of the Praublents, making fools out of themselves.

"If I may offer a suggestion," Salvana once again interrupted their petty argument. "The plant will not harm either of you. You may both undergo the ritual."

Leonard couldn't help but to frown. That wasn't a solution at all. In fact, it was the exact opposite of one. He was attempting to stop Spock from eating the leaf, not just end up doing it with him.

"I am sorry, but," Spock began, at the same time that Leonard said "I don't think-"

But Jim spoke over the both of them. "What are the exact steps of your ritual?"

Salvana turned to him. "They would simply need to eat the leaf. Then, the mark could appear at any time. Usually it appears overnight when they would be sleeping."

"And there would be no negative side effects?" The captain prodded.

"They could perhaps feel a bit tired, maybe a little out of sorts as their souls acclimate to the change. However, nothing permanent or damaging."

Jim nodded, before looking to both Leonard and Spock, studying them individually. "I agree that nothing so far has caused any of us grief. This plant will probably be just the same. However, you both need to decided who will be going through with it, or if neither of you will."

The doctor stared at the Vulcan, and was stared at right back. They were locked in a silent battle, but neither of them dared to make the first move. Finally, Leonard sighed, and ran a hand over his face. 

"Damn hobgoblin," he muttered under his breath, before raising his voice to speak at a normal volume. "He can do it, but only if I do too." The stubborn ass.

"And I guess that's going to be your final offer, Bones?" Jim asked him with an expression he was struggling to read. Odd, since he normally had no problem understanding the man.

"Yes," he said with a nod, looking back to Spock.

The Vulcan was silent for a few moments, before giving a single curt nod of his head.

"I think we've come to an agreement," Jim said, turning to Salvana as Spock rose from his chair to stand, linking his hands together behind his back.

"Excellent. Then the both of you, please come forward to stand before me."

Leonard wore a frown on his face, displeased that he was not the only one walking forward. He'd volunteered so no one else would have to do it, but apparently things just weren't going to go his way.

Salvana stayed where they were, calmly waiting for the two to approach. They didn't speak until a Praublent came forward, carrying two, single white leaves.

"You will each eat one," they said, holding them out.

"That's it?" Leonard asked, taking a leaf gingerly, bringing it up to his face to study.

"Yes, that is all the ritual requires for souls to be bonded."

"Huh," he murmured, before glancing to the man at his side. "Well, you asked for this. Ready?"

Spock nodded. "Indeed, Doctor."

Looking around the room one last time, it was impossible to miss the look of fury upon Uhura's face. Spock was going to catch hell from her about this later. With a sigh, and a mental promise to kick Spock's ass if he got sick, Leonard placed the leaf in his mouth and chewed.


	5. Effects and Side Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ritual is a success, but Leonard must face the consequences of eating strange plants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took longer to write than I'd planned on, but it's finally here! Please enjoy!  
> ( Also, I'm not too sure at this point how long this'll be, but I'm thinking it's gonna be a long one c: )

The leaf was bitter. It was absolutely awful tasting, and Leonard had to force himself to keep chewing, wearing a grimace on his face through the process of swallowing it. Spock seemed to be having the same issue, although he appeared more dignified as he suffered through it.

He waited for something to happen, but nothing ever came. His skin didn't begin to boil and fester, but he didn't feel enlightened or complete either. Everything was just as he was normally. Though, he supposed that that was just what Salvana had said.

"We appreciate your willingness to honor our traditions," the Praublent said, although their tone of voice still didn't change from the bland evenness that it'd had before.

"Of course," Spock said, the first to respond as he dipped his head forwards in a small bow. Leonard simply nodded his agreement.

Salvana turned to face Jim and the remained of the landing party. "Now we may begin the discussions regarding our joining of the Federation," they said, approaching the table once again to take a seat. Leonard and Spock were left standing at the front of the room, apparently meant to find their own way back to their places.

Unfortunately, that probably wasn't the best decision, because with his first step Leonard was met with an awful fuzzy feeling in his head, and stumbled. Spock was there, almost instantly reaching out for his elbow to steady his stance. 

"Doctor, are you alright?" He questioned, a surprising amount of concern lacing around his words. Or, maybe it was just Leonard's imagination. It was possible, considering that he was having a bit of trouble keeping his eyes open at the moment, and anything not in his immediate line of sight was blurring around the edges. 

It took him a few moments to respond, but eventually he nodded his head. "Of course. I'm fine. Just... tired, I think." 

The Vulcan studied him for a few moments, before finally releasing his grip and putting his hands back in their usual place behind his back. It was only afterwards that Leonard noticed that the hold on his arm had lasted a bit longer than necessary, although he didn't think much of it. Spock probably wanted to make sure he didn't fall over in front of everyone in the hall. How nice of him.

"I think it would perhaps be best if you retired to bed."

"I don't need to be put to bed, Spock. I'm just fi-" but he didn't get to finish his sentence as a long yawn interrupted him. He just knew that he was being looked at with that familiar raised eyebrow because dammit, Spock just got proven right. With a sigh, he relented, remembering their location. Surely some of the Praublents would have noticed them still standing there by now. "Maybe I should go lay down."

"A much preferred alternative to you falling asleep at the table, Doctor." 

"Are you feeling okay?" Leonard had a sneaking suspicion that the reason for his sudden exhaustion was the leaf that he'd eaten for the ritual. After all, Salvana had said it was possible for tiredness to be a side effect. However, he wanted to make sure that the Vulcan wasn't feeling off as well. As CMO, there was no way he was going to rest if Spock wouldn't when he needed to do so.

"I am well," was the simple reply he was awarded with, and Leonard looked him up and down carefully. "Can you make it to your room on your own?"

"I'm only a little tired, so I think I can manage to walk down a hallway by myself. But are you sure you're not tired? You don't feel sick at all?" He pushed just a little more, knowing full well that the Vulcan was a stubborn creature when it came to his questions.

"While I appreciate the concern, I am positive that I am not currently feeling any negative side effects from the leaves we ate."

"There was a currently in there. Something could happen later."

"And I will resolve the issue as it occurs. Now Doctor, you really should go to bed. Your eyelids are drooping."

Leonard scoffed, trying to brush off the accusation, but he knew that it was true as he was struggling to keep his eyes open. He didn't like that one leaf would be able to knock him out so easily. It truly seemed like a dangerous plant if someone with ill intentions were to get their hands on it. And soulmate marks were a whole other problem. Forcing a person's body to change in recognition of a 'destined lover' was definitely an uncomfortable thought for the doctor.

He walked carefully, Spock directly behind him, towards where Jim was sitting, currently in an easy sounding conversation with Salvana and a few other Praublents. Obviously they hadn't gotten to the heavy issues yet. That would probably take hours, depending on how willing each party was to give up on certain issues. 

Spock took his seat, although Leonard could see that the Vulcan still had eyes on him, carefully watching. After a few moments, Jim paused, and turned to inspect his friend.

"What is it, Bones?" He asked quietly.

"I think I would like to return to my room," he began, attempting to keep his eyes open wide, like he wasn't seconds away from falling asleep. When he'd been told that he might feel tired, he hadn't expected it to be this bad. He briefly wondered if it would be the same for all humans, or if his reaction was heightened for some reason.

"Are you alright?" The Captain interrupted his private thoughts, concern obvious in his tone.

Leonard waved one hand dismissively. "Just tired. It's that leaf," he said a bit harshly, although avoided referring to it as 'that damn leaf' for a desire to not insult the Praublents and their sacred ritual.

"Then you better go. Should I send someone with you?"

"No. Just keep an eye on Spock, yeah? Send him out if he starts looking bad," Leonard requested, looking up from Jim's face to the Vulcan's. He looked slightly displeased, but the doctor really didn't care. Spock would appreciate it when he didn't end up falling asleep at the table himself.

"Will do. Now get out of here before you pass out on the floor. You look awful."

Leonard couldn't help but to chuckle. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered in lieu of an argument, and turned towards the big doors that served as the exit from the hall. He could hear as he walked out that Jim was giving explanation for his leaving, but didn't hang around to hear the response. Instead, he tried to move his feet as quickly as possible towards his room. Before, he hadn't minded being the very last door, but now it was irritating to no end. 

Dammit, he was a doctor. He functioned practically perfectly with the least amount of sleep possible. He couldn't believe that a tiny magical leaf was making him so exhausted that he couldn't even focus his vision properly. What was even more vexing though, was that Spock seemed just fine. He was probably thanking his 'superior' Vulcan body at that very moment. That damn green-blooded hobgoblin.

Leonard yawned his way through a scowl as he pulled his door open and walked in. He didn't even bother to shut it properly, and instead just let it swing back into place behind him. The bed was calling to him with it's soft, sinking mattress, and Leonard dropped down onto it with a quiet grunt from the soft impact. He barely had to get comfortable before he was out, dropping into a deep sleep. If he'd had the opportunity to be honest with himself, he probably would have noted that it was the best sleep he'd had in ages.

________________________________

When Leonard opened his eyes again, they were heavy from deep sleep, and he lifted his hands to rub at them. He was currently laying flat on his back, in the middle of a decently sized, but far too soft bed. This wasn't the bed in his quarters. 

It took a few seconds for him to properly realize the reason behind that was because he wasn't in his quarters at all. The bleariness of having just woken up slowly cleared, and Leonard became all too aware of everything that had happened. He sat up, running one hand over his face with a sigh, but stopped suddenly when he realized that the movement caused a little twinge of pain at his collarbone. It wasn't anything severe; easy enough to ignore. However, an uneasy, fluttery feeling settled in the pit of his stomach, and he stood up suddenly, touching his neck like it would help him discover the reason behind the strange feeling. 

He needed a mirror. He needed to find out if that mark had appeared on his skin yet. He needed to know if he would recognize the meaning behind it. These thoughts raced through his mind as he rushed towards the bathroom. He wasn't exactly sure if there would be anything useful in there, considering that the Praublents were fond of using natural materials, but it was his best chance at the moment. He didn't have anything reflective enough with him.

There was indeed something resembling a small, portable mirror in the bathroom sitting atop a wooden slab that was functioning as a counter top. However, it didn't look to be made out of glass, and definitely wasn't as clear as he was used to. When he picked it up, if felt like it was made out of some sort of stone; heavy and smooth. How they managed to make it reflect as strongly as it did, Leonard didn't know.

He roughly yanked down the collar of his shirt, attempting to look and see if anything there was causing the weird twinges. His eyes widened when he noticed a black line going around his neck, and he dropped the mirror back onto the counter as he reached for the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head.

Now bare chested, he picked up the mirror to inspect his neck again. Through the slightly blurred image that the stone reflected, he could tell that the black lines that had wrapped around his neck actually appeared to join together in the middle of his chest, directly below his collarbone. It was a necklace, with a small, blue stone hanging from it. Leonard's eyes widened in shock, and he slowly lifted up his free hand in an attempt to touch it. But, as he ran his hand over the stone, it registered with him that there wasn't anything to feel. The necklace was simply an image embedded into his skin, and his surprised expression morphed into a frown.

His soulmate mark. 

There was no other explanation for why he'd suddenly have a tattoo as strange this one. He picked his shirt up from off the floor where he'd dropped it, and pulled it over his head, determined to not even look at the mark. He refused to acknowledge that the ritual had apparently worked, and absolutely refused to think about who it was meant to represent. He had far more important things to deal with, like what time it was, or if the negotiations had been finished yet.

Smoothing out his clothes, Leonard walked out of the bathroom with a scowl still marring his face, intent on finding Jim. He didn't really want to see Spock at the moment, although he was concerned about whether or not the Vulcan had needed to leave the hall as well. But, he only needed to find the captain, or some other member of the crew to be told about that.

Upon exiting the room, he was greeted with an empty hallway. Walking down it, he didn't hear noise coming from any of the rooms, but decided to stop by Jim's anyway. He knocked and waited, and was mildly surprised when the door was opened. Had he been asleep for that long, or had the discussions with the Praublents gone unusually quickly?

"Bones!" Jim said, a bit excitedly, as he noticed who was standing before him. "You're awake. Are you feeling okay now?" He stepped back, allowing space for the doctor to walk past and into the room.

"I feel like I slept for two weeks. How long has it been?" he asked, completely unaware of the time as he walked in and sat down on the bed. Jim's was even softer than his own, if that was at all possible.

"A few hours. We actually stopped the meeting because not too long after you left, Spock looked like he was about to fall out of his chair. The Praublents suggested we reconvene after you both feel better."

"Spock? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, I think he was just tired too. He hasn't gotten up yet."

Leonard nodded his head slowly, a little unwilling at the moment to talk about Spock outside of questioning whether or not he was well. So instead, he decided to change the topic. "Did you get anywhere with the Praublents?" He asked, subconsciously scratching at the base of his neck.

Jim looked at him with a funny expression for a moment, but didn't press about the Soulmate situation like Leonard thought he would have. "They're actually being pretty agreeable. They don't seem to have problems with any offers, and don't have much to ask for in return. Just the usual things, like protection, and that we respect their land," he explained with a light shrug. "But we haven't gotten to the complicated stuff yet either, so we'll see how that goes."

Jim moved and sat down gently on the bed, and Leonard knew what was coming before the words even left the man's mouth. "So how are you really? Has the mark appeared?"

Leonard sighed. "Yeah, it's there," but refused to say any more.

"I don't get to see it?"

"Hell no." The last thing he wanted to do was show anybody the mark, especially not Jim.

The man appeared to look disappointed for a moment before letting his expression change into a more neutral one. "Do you know who it represents?" A dumb question, if one considered the statistics. The chance of him knowing his soulmate out of all the universe's inhabitants was unlikely at best. And yet, Leonard could only frown.

"Maybe. I don't know," he muttered.

"Maybe?" Jim questioned, his eyes widening. Dammit, he shouldn't have said anything.

"I don't know, Jim. Let it go."

"You're evading, but I'm going to go along with it because you're my friend."

"Ha. Go pester Spock about his when he wakes up. I'm sure he'll have all sorts of interesting theories to tell you about who he thinks his is." His tone was bitter and sarcastic, but that was nothing new.

Jim was silent for a few moments, studying the man next to him. "You don't think it's Uhura?" He eventually asked, and Leonard looked at him curiously.

"I know you've noticed, if he hasn't already told you about it anyway. They haven't been getting along for a while now. They don't talk about it, but it's easy to see. If they're soulmates, they've got a damn long way to go." He doubted they were meant to be together. While they had looked happy before, their relationship just seemed to be going downhill now, at least from a romantic point. It would be better for them, in Leonard's opinion, to go to a more simple 'just friends' sort of arrangement. They did work well together, but something was throwing them off drastically. If they got to a point where they couldn't even be in each other's company, then all hell would break loose.

Jim sighed. "Yeah, I noticed. I'd hoped nobody else had, but that was probably too much to wish for. It is obvious..."

"Do you know why? Did Spock tell you?" Leonard questioned, unable to stop the curiosity from leaking out, just a little. Of course, he wasn't going to pry if Jim didn't want to tell him. He wasn't that mean.

"Uhura did, actually," the man said, which surprised the doctor. "Well, she didn't tell me the whole story, but when I asked she said something about the attraction being gone. I don't know if that feeling is mutual though, or only one of them is loosing interest. Spock refuses to say anything at all."

"Typical. Stubborn Vulcan," Leonard huffed, shaking his head. He was a bit shocked though, to hear the reason behind their troubles. Their attraction had seemed strong enough before, but, he supposed that all relationships started that way. Interest was an easy enough thing to have fade away.

"They'll figure it out, once they actually talk to one another. They seem to be avoiding it right now." Jim seemed exasperated at the two, and Leonard agreed. If they were avoiding it, it'd only get worse as time went on.

"Probably afraid of whatever answer they'll come to."

"You think so?"

"Ending a relationship tends to go that way," Leonard said with something akin to a sigh.

"You're sure they'll end it? They're both pretty stubborn."

"That only means they'll be more unhappy if it's not what they want. Damn unhealthy is what it'd be if they stay together just because they refuse to let go, especially if whatever mark Spock gets doesn't refer to Uhura."

"Maybe," Jim said quietly, before clearing his throat. "Anyway, once Spock wakes up, I'll inform the Praublents that we can begin again."

"I think I'll take a walk and look around the place. Look at all the leaves," Leonard deadpanned, suddenly feeling tired again, even though he'd just woken up. He wanted time alone, to think about this mark he'd now been burdened with.

"Go ahead. It is really nice here," Jim hummed with a nod.

"Beautiful. See you later, Jim," he said, a bit too eager to leave and have some time to himself. The conversation had seemed to heavy, taking into consideration the fact that Leonard now had a soulmate. He wanted to forget all about relationships and their troubles, not gossip about someone else's.

"Be ready for the meeting, Bones," Jim called as the doctor waved one hand in a goodbye before walking out the door and closing it behind him.


	6. Doctor's Self Evaluation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard thinks over the meaning of his Soulmate mark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading this, and especially to those who have been leaving comments and kudos. I appreciate each and every one of you! <3  
> I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story as the plot thickens :D

Leonard found that the Praublents apparently didn't mind too much if strangers wandered around without anyone to escort them. He, for one, was extremely grateful. The only thing he wanted at the moment was to be alone, and he wasn't fond of the idea of being stuck in one room the whole time. Especially since there was no alcohol in sight to keep him company.

He walked almost aimlessly, and relished in the opportunity to have actual land underneath his feet. It was surprisingly calming, with the crunch of leaves after each step, and no immediate threat looming over them. At least, there wasn't at the moment. Leonard never got his hopes up, knowing full well that Jim and his crew had the the most abysmal sort of luck. He already had the damn soulmate situation to deal with, but the universe never liked to be too kind.

As pretty as the landscape and buildings around him were to gaze at with their multicolored leaves, it all sort of blurred together after a while. There was nothing new to look at, and everything was just a different variety of the same. The most intricate thing to see was the large center building that he'd just come from, but that area was far too busy to stick around for long. He could feel the gazes of the Praublents on his back, and the fact that he didn't know their reasons for looking was making his vaguely uncomfortable, and very irritated. Was it because he was a member of Starfleet and didn't technically belong on their planet, or was it because of the ritual from earlier?

The stares drove him further away than what would probably be considered safe, but at the edge of the small community, there was a short but steep cliff that looked out towards the shining mountains off in the distance. A rather large lake that rested before them, and the water only reflected more light. It was certainly rather bright, and quite the sight, especially when his only view upon the Enterprise was the blackness of endless space.

He found himself leaning against a small, lone tree there, simply staring out towards the top of those mountains. His feet were so close to the edge that a simple push could send him tumbling. Occasionally, something akin to a bird would fly by in the distance, but they never got close enough for Leonard to see them clearly.

The doctor tried to let his mind wander, but there seemed to be only one thought it wanted to concentrate on. The necklace that would now permanently adorn his neck was the only thing he was able to focus on. With a sigh, he ran his hand over his face in some sort of attempt to relax. The whole situation was making him tense - more so than usual - and he could practically feel the knots forming in the muscles of his back.

Of course, he knew damn well that there was most likely nothing he could do about it now. A soul binding ritual sounded even more permanent that a Vulcan mind meld, and he wasn't about to break himself just to get rid of whatever strange link had tangled with the person on the other end. He still had _some_ things worth living for, like making sure Jim did't get himself killed. Or that Spock didn't get _himself_ killed. The idiots were gluttons for punishment, the both of them.

Spock. He was the one that Leonard had the most difficulty understanding. Jim he'd know. Jim was easy just because of familiarity and an easy match of personality that didn't leave room for many major disagreements. The Vulcan on the other hand, was something else entirely. As he liked to say himself, Leonard was a being who made a lot of decisions based on emotions, even if that meant completely throwing logic out the window. He was just human, and that was something that couldn't ever be changed.

Spock however, no matter what percentage of him shared human DNA, had been raised as a Vulcan, and liked to think as one. His decisions were based off of what would be the most logical choice, even if that didn't seem to be the morally correct one. Leonard knew very well that their frequent arguments were only because of this one major difference between them. And even if they had come a long was from what they'd been before, it was just another thing that he doubted would change.

Back then, when they'd first met, Leonard had practically despised Spock, though he couldn't help but to acknowledge the incredible intelligence he possessed. He hated him, and it was partially due to that intelligence. The Vulcan had seemed to only function based upon it, and if something was't written down in a rule book, or a scientific journal somewhere, it didn't exist. 

And when it had come to important decisions, the only thing that seemed to matter was what would look best on the report. What followed the most codes. Not the safety of a person, or the consequences of what that decision might have been. It had pissed Leonard off endlessly.

Slowly, he had learned that Spock had emotions like the rest of them, just as the other slowly, and begrudgingly began to show them. Of course, it wasn't in the most beneficial way, because nothing ever seemed to work out correctly for the doctor.

Spock seemed to have the idea stuck in his mind that the best way to show he cared was self sacrifice. He'd probably learned it from Jim, and Leonard damn sure didn't approve of either of them doing it. From walking into a radioactive core, to staying inside of an active volcano, the both of them were going to make him pass ahead of his time just from the stress. 

And of course, he always ended up having to patch the both of them up. Always left to do the dirty work; heal and deal with the emotions of having almost been unable to do so. They liked to cut it a little too close for comfort. But a single 'thank you' was all he ever got in return before they ran off to do it again. Typical. He was a doctor, but most patients liked to avoid disaster. Why couldn't his?

Then, of course, Spock had gotten the grand idea to ask to be left behind when he was injured, like that was something Leonard would ever do. They fought far too often for anyone who observed from the outside to think they were proper friends, but he'd somehow grown just as fond of the Vulcan as he was of Jim. When had that happened? When had he become capable of the thought that loosing Spock would destroy him?

It seemed almost laughable now, thinking back upon how they used to be. All things considered, they had come a long way, even if it still seemed like every other conversation was some sort of argument. That was just the way they were though, and he doubted that any improvements in their relationship would change that. Leonard doubted it was psychologically possible.

Despite those arguments though, he couldn't, or rather, wouldn't deny the fact that Spock was his friend. He worried just as much about his safety as he did for Jim's. Whenever he was injured, Leonard's mind was a whirling mix of worry and fear, which barely left any room for actual medical thought. It was a damn good thing that he had practice working through stressful situations, and was able to keep himself calm. He doubted he'd ever be able to forgive himself if Spock died on his watch.

With a sigh, Leonard opened eyes that he hadn't even realized had closed, and looked around his surroundings a second time in an attempt to drop that train of thought. It was one that he already knew wouldn't lead anywhere good.

The area he'd chosen to stop was still empty, with only the mountains available for company. They weren't so bad, especially since they didn't talk. The only other people he'd want to be by weren't exactly the best options at the moment. He knew that Jim was curious about the mark, and would end up asking questions again, despite having said that he wouldn't pry. And Spock was the last person he wanted around at the moment. Truthfully, he just wanted to forget about the mark around his neck, and any thought of the Vulcan only made him remember.

His wished he didn't know why that was, but dammit he did.

There would be no avoiding it. Not when his own mind was concerned, at least. Perhaps he could lie to everyone, constantly make sure to keep the mark hidden, but there would be no keeping the truth from himself. Not if every time he took off his shirt the dumb thing would be there to greet him. A painful reminder of the emotions he refused to face.

It was a recognizable necklace to practically the entire crew who knew Spock personally. A necklace that Leonard had poked fun at more times than he could even count. And the sad thing was, it technically belonged to a different person. While the mark may belong to him, the jewelry it represented did not. A replication of Uhura's necklace now marred his skin, and there was no way in hell that he would let anyone find out about that. It wasn't his to own; the gift given by Spock to the woman he loved. Leonard had no right to wear it.

He must want one though, if his soul had decided it would be the perfect representation of whatever damn bond now controlled him. How it could be true though, he couldn't understand. He had grown more fond of Spock than he'd ever thought possible, yes. But since when had he wanted more than that? Did he want more? Leonard didn't exactly feel any sort of romantic or sexual longing for the Vulcan. His emotions were a muddled mess, formed through years of pushing away to examine at a later date. The day had apparently come, but now he had no idea where to begin. 

Leonard's hand reached up to rub at the mark through his shirt again, paying special attention to his collarbone, where it was still a bit sore. The question of whether or not he loved Spock was beginning to loom rather threateningly, and an unsure swirl of emotion was lodged in his gut.

God, he hated that stupid green-blooded hobgoblin. Leonard almost laughed. That wasn't the correct answer. Or, at least, it wasn't once he went below the surface of his initial emotions, past the ones that formed simply because they were both stubborn and impulsive creatures who tended to disagree too much. Beneath everything horrid sat something pleasant, although he'd never put thought into it before, and had instead always pushed it away.

Now though, rubbing the base of his neck gently, Leonard allowed himself the freedom to consider it. He thought about Spock, and all the emotions he felt when around the Vulcan.

Despite the obvious ones, like irritation, or anger, there was certainly a feeling of comradeship. Leonard saw him as a close friend, and valued Spock's opinion, despite often disliking the way it was delivered. He always considered the man's opinions, having long ago recognized him as an intelligent being. More recently, Leonard had begun taking his feelings into consideration as well, although those were often difficult to decipher. 

Leonard also found that he felt a need to protect the Vulcan. Before, he had considered that a reaction reserved only for Jim and his impulsive decisions, but before he even realized it, it'd spread to Spock as well. He couldn't help but to fear for the worst whenever they went to a potentially dangerous planet. Normally, he'd say that was just part of being a doctor. But, while he did fear for the lives of everyone on the ship, nobody caused him as much grief as Spock did. 

When his side had been pierced by the shrapnel, and all that Leonard could to to help was cauterize the wound, the only thing he could imagine was that he'd somehow failed. He'd caused Spock unnecessary pain through a botched job, and while he knew that had been the only option to keep them both alive, his mind kept wandering back. He often caught himself wondering if there was anything he could have done differently. He was dwelling on it for far longer than he ever did for any other procedure done while a member of Starfleet. It had irritated him before that he couldn't seem to let it go, but now he wondered if there was a deeper meaning. 

He was reluctant to label it as love, considering that the last time he'd felt that emotion, it ended unfavorably, with his entire life being swept away from underneath his feet. It'd been so long since then though, that he wasn't even sure if he could remember what it was meant to feel like. The last time he'd looked at his ex wife with love had been ages before the divorce, and he hadn't felt that way again since leaving Earth. Would it even feel the same anyway? Every relationship, every emotion was different, and it had been years since he'd experienced any of them. By all accounts, he was practically going into this blind.

If it wasn't love though, he didn't know what else it could be called, especially if they were meant to be soulmates. A bond between their minds, bodies, and souls probably couldn't be forged upon something weaker. But, even if he did happen to care for Spock that much, there was no guarantee that it was mutual. As far as the doctor knew, the Vulcan could still harbor feelings for Uhura. And even if he didn't, what reason would he have for being interested in Leonard?

Or perhaps Spock didn't bear a mark pointing to him at all? The Praublents had said that the ritual bonded two souls, but he wondered whether they always paired up properly. Leonard was curious - and rather worried - that even if he had a soulmate, that perhaps the person on the other end wouldn't be meant for him. After all, none of his other relationships had managed to work out. It'd be just his fucking luck that he'd be alone, even with a mark pointing to the one he was meant to be with.

His head was becoming heavy and fuzzy with the depressing thoughts, and Leonard took a long breath to clear everything away. Despite his jumbled ideas and trains of thought leading to a few realizations, he still wasn't sure what to do about his feelings for Spock. He wasn't confident that he felt love, but certainly knew that it was something above friendship. He couldn't say he was happy with that knowledge, either. By all evidence, they should be completely incompatible. He couldn't even begin to imagine trying to enter into a relationship with the Vulcan, when they couldn't go a single day without fighting about something. It was damn frustrating. 

This was exactly why Leonard didn't like being part of the landing party. 

He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there, but after a few moments decided that he should probably head back in case the meeting began again. Of course, Jim would probably try to find him first, but Leonard knew he'd gone a decent ways away from everyone. Having walked aimlessly away from any sort of path, he knew the kid would have a difficult time. Besides, there was only so much self introspect that he could handle before going crazy.

For the most part, he remembered the way he'd come, and it didn't take too long for the Praublent's colony to rise into view once again. If he hadn't known though, it would have been difficult to distinguish the difference between the leaves.

The amount of stares and odd looks hadn't diminished, and Leonard walked with his eyebrows furrowed together in an expression that probably didn't make him look too approachable. He couldn't help that he was in a bad mood. Everything about the situation he'd found himself in was pissing him off. Especially Spock.

"Doctor."

Leonard turned his head to the side to look at who was calling him with a frown, because that voice was enough to already know exactly who it belonged to. The Vulcan approached calmly, and it seemed that he had recovered from the tiredness just as easily as the doctor himself.

"What can I do ya' for, Mr. Spock?" Leonard asked, pausing his pace to wait for the other, despite his personal desire to just keep going.

Spock paused for only a moment to raise an eyebrow at the phrasing, which gave the doctor a minuscule amount of satisfaction, before continuing like nothing had thrown him off to begin with. Truly, he should be familiar enough with the colloquialisms to not be bothered anymore.

"Since I have recovered from the ritual's side effects, the Captain thought it appropriate to begin the meeting again. He informed me that you had gone outside, and asked me to find you," he stated with an even tone.

"Recovered, huh? Jim says you almost fell off your chair. I'm a little sad I missed it." He had told the idiot to go to bed. That's just what happens when someone doesn't listen to their doctor.

"It was not a humorous situation. And as I did not fall, there would have been nothing to see," Spock refuted.

"Shame," Leonard said with a shrug of one of his shoulders.

"I can assume that you have recovered as well?" The Vulcan asked, smartly deciding to change the topic.

"Fit as a fiddle."

"Indeed."

Leonard raised his eyebrows curiously at the response, but just shook his head slightly instead. "The meeting. Is it starting now?"

"In a few moments."

"Then we'd better get a move on." And with that, he turned away from the other and picked up his previous pace to make his way towards the large building quickly. He was sure that Spock was following behind him, but didn't turn to look, or stop to let him catch up. Their clipped conversation was about all he was willing to take at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Bones did a lot of thinking in the chapter, huh? His thoughts are a bit jumbled, and he's confused, but he's trying.  
> ( I know you all want to see Spock's mark too ;) Don't worry, it's coming )


	7. The Dangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something dangerous lives alongside the Praublents on Zetzer-B2, and they've asked for assistance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter is worth the little bit of an extra wait that I've made you endure ;)

The way in which Leonard walked back to the main hall was stiff and emotionless, although he attempted to hide it because of Spock directly behind him. Surely, the Vulcan with his calculating eye would notice if something was off. The last thing he wanted was to be questioned about his well-being again. He knew damn well that physically, he was completely fine. Mental frustration was the issue, but he certainly wasn't about to go crying into Spock's arms about it.

A Praublent was ready at the door when they arrived back, greeting them in a rather bland tone. Simple politeness, and what were probably orders from Salvana, were the only things that motivated them to wait there.

"Doctor McCoy, Commander Spock," they said, bowing a head at each in turn. ''I have been asked to escort you both back into the hall. If you will follow me, please." And with those words, they turned around and made their way inside without even waiting for agreement.

Left without much of an option, seeing as he was wanted in the meeting anyway, Leonard followed after the nameless Praublent through the halls until they reached those large double doors once again. Hopefully this time, nothing out of the ordinary would happen to any of the crew. The Planet's natives should be plenty satisfied after two underwent the ritual, shouldn't they?

"The meeting will be starting momentarily. Leader Salvana and Captain Kirk are both inside already," explained their guide as they stepped aside to let the two officers pass through. They each nodded thanks, and as Spock followed after Leonard into the main hall, he let the doors swing shut behind them both.

The scene before Leonard felt awfully familiar as Spock stopped by his side, and the eyes of everyone else already in the room turning to look at them. It made an uncomfortable sensation crawl underneath his skin, so he left the Vulcan without saying a word, taking long strides to arrive next to Jim.

Uhura had been standing next to the Captain at his seat, apparently only chatting aimlessly with him before Leonard's arrival, as she bid them both goodbyes before returning to her own chair. He watched her go, and couldn't help but to take note that she had glanced almost longingly over at Spock, but didn't make a move to approach the Vulcan. He reminded himself that it was rude to pry. It wasn't his business. 

"Are you and Spock travel buddies on this planet visit, Bones?" Jim asked with a mirthful grin as he turned in his chair to face the doctor.

"Well, someone was sending him to babysit me," Leonard retorted with a light frown, remembering what he'd been told when Spock had found him outside. "I wonder who that could have been."

"I wouldn't know." Jim's voice revealed that he did, though. "But, they must care a whole bunch about your safety."

"I doubt that's what _they_ had in mind," Leonard scoffed, and looking at the man next to him, he knew that he was right. Jim did it because he found it funny. He got some sort of kick out of seeing his first officer and CMO bicker. It pissed Leonard off.

"Maybe. Maybe not," Jim mused quietly, his voice so low that it was almost a murmur.

"Maybe not?"

"Maybe not."

Leonard just scoffed at that, fully convinced that Jim was only trying to irritate him even more now. He shook his head in lieu of responding, and took his seat in the same chair he'd occupied earlier.

Jim seemed satisfied with their conversation as it had been left, so he directed his attention to Salvana, who was sitting across from him at their own place at the table.

"Are we ready to begin?"

"Yes, Captain. Now that your crew and my people have all arrived, we may begin once again."

"Excellent. I believe we were in the middle of discussing the protection you wanted to receive after the formation of a treaty, is that right?"

"Yes, it is."

Leonard had been absent from all of this talk, so he listened intently now, attempting to catch up on everything he had missed.  He would have nothing to add, but was interested nonetheless. What was it that they wanted protection from? Their planet appeared, to his eyes at least, very peaceful. In fact, he'd barely seen any other creatures at all besides the Praublents themselves.

"Now, please," Jim continued, "Tell us about the protection you'll be needing." As he spoke, he leaned back just slightly in his chair, betraying the straight backed diplomatic posture he'd held previously. Leonard just took it as a sign that the man was actually intrigued. 

"You may not know, because night has not fallen for you to experience it yourselves, but there are creatures - monsters - that roam through our land," Salvana began, their light hands clasped together in a tight grip that made them appear much more tense than Leonard had previously thought them to be.

"These monsters, as you call them, they only appear in the night?" Spock asked, making his voice heard for the first time since the meeting had begun.

"Yes. Our days are long, but the nights even longer. Once darkness falls, they come out of hiding, and my people are no longer safe."

"They attack you," Jim said, but it was phrased more like a statement of fact, rather than a question. Leonard raised an eyebrow at that, but nobody was looking his way to see it.

Salvana either didn't notice, or didn't mind, for they simply nodded. "They attack if they see us. All night long we must remain silent and hidden, for fear of our safety."

"For what reason do they attack? For food?" Spock questioned, his tone betraying no emotion. Not surprising.

The Praublent leader cast a curious look over the Vulcan, like they thought his question to be irrelevant, but answered without comment or complaint on the matter. "They have been seen eating plants from the land, and their attacks are unnecessarily vicious. We have come to believe that they are just violent in nature. Whether those they kill do serve as... _food_ we cannot be sure."

Spock seemed satisfied with the answer, and so he simply nodded his head. Leonard could see the look in his eye, and recognized it simply from the amount of times he'd seen it over the years of knowing him. It was a look that meant he was thinking about something that could be described as 'interesting'.

Jim broke through the silence that had momentarily settled with a curiosity of his own. "These creatures. What do they look like? Has anyone ever survived getting close to one?"

Salvana nodded slowly, like thinking about it was painful. Leonard supposed that watching your people die and having no solution would be difficult to bear. "They are large. Their heads tower far above ours, and their steps are heavy. Crushing. Many of my people have survived initial attacks. Though most did not live long after. Other symptoms, or subsequent visits from the monsters took them instead."

Spock chose then to interrupt again, but Leonard was sure that if he hadn't, someone else would have. They had all caught the irregularity in the explanation, he knew. "Symptoms?" The Vulcan questioned. "What were they suffering symptoms from?"

"As you are well aware by now, Commander, our bonds go very deep."

They must have been speaking of the Soulmates, Leonard thought as Spock nodded his head in agreement. As for what that had to do with symptoms, and the monster's attacks, he did not understand yet.

"When a Praublent who is bonded to another dies, their mate suffers as well. The chances of surviving the loss is low. If the bond isn't complete, they might fare better, but most of ours have fully formed long ago."

Leonard's eyes widened slightly, and he spoke up without even thinking about it. "So you suffer double the loss? Those attacked, followed by their soulmates?"

"Correct. Except, the events often occur the opposite of which you've phrased them."

A strange silence seemed to permeate the hall as the members of the landing party blinked through their confusion. 

"So what you're saying is," Jim began, the first to attempt and clarify Salvana's explanation, "that the soulmates of those attacked at the ones to die first? Not the other way around?"

"Yes."

"How exactly is that possible?"

"We are not sure," Salvana said, pausing for a few moments, as if in thought. "I believe it it something in their bite. A poison of sorts, perhaps."

Leonard didn't even need to look over to know that Jim was glancing at him. "I don't know of any poisons that don't affect the person immediately infected," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Perhaps it is not a poison, but something that changes the bond. An interference of sorts?"

"That's a thought, Mr. Spock. Would something like that be possible?" Jim wondered, turning away from Leonard to study his first officer.

"It could be. I'm afraid that I don't have enough information on the Praublents' form of bonding, but it is a plausible option."

Leonard nodded slowly, agreeing with Spock for once. "The bond is supposed to be between the soul, body, and mind. If it were to be forcibly broken so suddenly," he said, cutting off his own sentence with a shrug.

"Indeed, Doctor. Even a Vulcan mind meld would have dangerous consequences if broken carelessly."

"But," Jim cut in, "Wouldn't suddenly cutting the link harm both of them? Why would one die suddenly, but the other live longer?"

Salvana seemed to be uncomfortable with simply being an onlooker to the conversation, for they spoke up and gathered the attention of the room again. "Can the Federation offer us protection from these attacks or not?"

"Of course," Jim said with a nod and a surety that was fitting of a captain. "However, it would be more beneficial to discover the cause of these... tragedies. We could provide better assistance."

Leonard agreed readily that understanding the cause was the best method to helping with the Praublents' problem, and now he had even been gifted with an extra motive. He was in the same situation, with a soulmate of his own. If either of them were to get attacked, then they were both doomed.

"We have no way to discover the cause except to get close and gather samples."

"Spock, that's too much of a risk. Absolutely not."

"I agree, Captain, but what method would you suggest? We need data, and at the moment there is none."

"If there were records, or something that documented what happened," Leonard mused, "We could try and figure something out from those."

Salvana nodded then. "We have records, but they are far from complete."

"Would you permit myself and Doctor McCoy to look through them?" Spock asked, looking towards the leader of the Praublents. Leonard stopped himself from making a teasing comment about the Vulcan not being able to do it on his own, due to their current company. He was damn sure though, that he would be bringing it up again later for his own amusement.

"Of course. You both have done much already for us by honoring our traditions. We would be thankful if anything could be done to help us. And whatever you or the Federation may want from us, we would be happy to give up in return."

"That can be discussed while my friends here look through those records," Jim said with a wave of his hand, gesturing to both Spock and Leonard. "Perhaps they can find a solution to the attacks."

"I will have someone lead them in the proper direction," Salvana said in way of agreement, bringing their attention to the Praublent sitting beside them. The two had a quiet conversation that Leonard couldn't hear, and then one stood, walking over to stand by the hall's exit. "Utseas will take you to the records," the leader said in lieu of an introduction.

Spock, without a word, brought himself to his feet. "We will inform you if any helpful information is found, Captain," he said quietly to the man next to him, and when Jim nodded, he turned towards the exit.

With only one thing left to do, Leonard stood and followed after the Vulcan. Utseas nodded to them in greeting, and lead the way out of the hall silently. The Praublents, he was learning, were not fond of casual conversation.

"What sort of information are you hoping to find, Spock?" Leonard couldn't help but to ask as they walked through the building to an unknown location.

The Vulcan glanced over as he spoke. "Symptoms, treatment attempts, anything that might offer more insight into what damages those on the other end of the bond."

"And I'm coming along because... I'm a doctor?"

"Indeed," Spock replied immediately, which made Leonard blow out a huff of air in irritation. "However, I also value your opinion, intelligence, and think you would have interesting insight."

The words didn't fail to shock him, and his mouth fell open slightly in an expression that betrayed all of his emotions. Thankfully, Spock didn't seem to be watching anymore, and was instead focused on the doors that they were passing after turning down an unfamiliar hallway.

"Well," he said after a handful of moments, his voice off, "at least I'm worth something around here." The comment was meant to be snarky and self deprecating to hide the effect the words had on him, although he wasn't confident it had worked very well. At the very least, Spock didn't comment on it.

"This room is where we hold records," Utseas said, interrupting the silence that had followed Leonard's words as they pushed open a nondescript door. The two officers followed the Praublent inside, and were lead to the back of the room. A simple wooden table sat there, with rough looking papers littering the surface. There were many of them, but they did not appear to say much.

"This is them? All of them?" Leonard asked, picking up one and glancing over it. It was in a different language, but even without being able to read it directly, he could guess that it was probably a list of names. He simply placed it back down again.

"All of them," Utseas confirmed with a nod. "I will return later to retrieve you. Or, you may return to the hall if you find any useful information. Please refrain from touching too much." And with that, they turned and left, letting the door swing shut behind them.

"Well," Leonard said with a sigh. "Isn't this just peachy?" The room was lit up with the same fire that they all seemed so fond of here, and it wasn't exactly the best light source for reading.

Spock, however, already appeared to be fiddling with the settings on his translator so he could read the lettering on the papers. "This room doesn't appear to be well used."

"Definitely not. This light's bad for my eyesight, y'know," he muttered in reply, working on the settings of his own translation device.

The Vulcan raised an eyebrow at him curiously. "Does Jim need to be informed that his CMO has failing vision?"

Leonard rolled his eyes, and it was exaggerated into a rather childish expression. "I damn well hope not." And with that, he grabbed the paper that he'd picked up once before. He had been correct. It was just a list of names. It was extensive, going onto other pages that he could see littering the table.

"For all of this, they have no helpful information?" He grumbled, selecting a different paper. It's information was limited as well; simply a record of the first incident. It only contained what they already knew. Sudden death for one side of the bond, and a painful break for the other, which they didn't survive.

"Bonds, links, and melds are all invisible. I imagine it would be difficult to describe an outside source forcing one to break."

"Do you think these bonds are similar to Vulcan ones?"

"Similar, yes. However, these could be more powerful. I do not think they are as controllable as a mind meld. They are self-forming, and that could be dangerous. Especially to those who have no experience with mental or soul linking."

Leonard paused for a moment. Eventually, he said, "You mean me, don't you?"

"I do. Choosing to participate in the ritual was a dangerous choice."

"It's a bit too late for that now, Spock. And anyway, you doing it wasn't any better."

"I am more experienced in mind melding."

"A soulmate bond is not the same thing!" Leonard argued, a deep frown marring his features. 

"That does not change the fact that I am more equipped to handle it." The Vulcan said, his tone practically unchanged. Leonard had known him long enough though, to recognize the lilt that meant he was irritated. 

"Ha. I didn't know you cared so much," he replied sarcastically. 

"Leonard," Spock said suddenly, lowering his hands and turning to fully face the doctor. The seriousness with which he spoke, even going so far as to use his name, made the man look back. It was uncomfortable in ways he didn't want to think about.

So, he sighed. "Don't bother, Spock. I made the choice to do it. It's a bit too late to be worrying, so don't get your panties in a twist."

The Vulcan seemed to consider the words for a long time, before silently turning back to the paper he had been studying. 

That seemed far too easy. "You don't have anything to say to that?"

"No, Doctor. You are, of course, right. There is nothing to do about the mark now."

Leonard narrowed his eyes. He absolutely knew that Spock had to still be bothered. The fact that he was dropping the argument so quickly, especially after being visibly irritated, was downright suspicious. Without much to say though, he looked back to his own translator. This was a conversation for later, when they weren't meant to be looking for a solution to the Praublents' issues. 

He doubted that Spock would be changing his opinion on the matter, but Leonard wasn't either. As much as he didn't like having the mark, he didn't exactly regret his choice to go through with the ritual. He would feel better if the Vulcan hadn't gone through with it as well, but he should have expected as much from Spock. Stubborn bastard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the plot thickens, and poor Bones has bond breaking to worry about now.  
> Hopefully, you enjoyed reading this chapter <33


	8. Hiding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spock and Leonard agree on the science of things.

Having to look at his translator while going through the paper records seemed almost like it was doubling the amount of time that it took to read them. Left with something akin to a headache pricking behind his eyes, and barely any more information than he'd had before, Leonard placed everything down on the table and leaned back against a nearby shelf. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked over to Spock, who hadn't yet abandoned the work. 

After a few moments though, he seemed to realize that he was being watched, and glanced over. "Is something wrong, Doctor?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Leonard tried to pretend he hadn't noticed it.

"I'm thinking about what we're supposed to do with this little information. There's practically nothing," he said, gesturing to the table with one hand. That was a lie. He hadn't been thinking about that at all. He'd been absentmindedly watching Spock work instead. 

"While that is true, I'm certain that we'll find something that could be useful."

"Certain, huh? I think you're reaching the end of those papers. Found anything yet?"

Spock only looked at him for a few moments. "I have not," he eventually replied.

"Ah, I didn't think so." Leonard couldn't help but to chuckle lightly about the fact that he'd been right. "So say we don't find this solution you're certain of. What do we do then?" The Praublents and their planet were practically unknown to Starfleet. They'd walked in blind, and now there was a looming threat that they'd been roped into dealing with. And Spock had dragged him down here, now making him partially responsible if they can't find a way to help them. The damned bastard. 

"We will find another way. In fact, I believe we are quite good at finding solutions in unusual places."

"Winging it, Spock. That's the phrase you're lookin' for," he said with a little grin.

"Yes, I suppose so. We will 'wing it', as you say."

"That's the Enterprise way," Leonard murmured, mostly to himself as he moved again to stand by the table next to Spock, looking over at the papers. The words were no more understandable than the ones on his own sheets, and he couldn't see the translator clearly enough, but he still read over them. At least they didn't appear to be copies. The characters seemed to be arranged in an order that he couldn't remember seeing before.

"Doctor, this paper has the exact symptoms of the most recent cases written down. It seems to be far more detailed than anything I have seen yet." As he spoke, Spock turned his head to the side to glance at Leonard with an almost questioning expression.

Realizing that he had been hovering, he took one step backwards and wordlessly reached out for the record. He looked over it with his own device, and had to agree with the Vulcan. It was by far the most helpful information they'd come across, although it was nowhere near enough to create a solution.

Reading over it quickly, he voiced bits and pieces that seemed more interesting than others. "'Patients suffered an extreme onslaught of sudden, uncontrollable symptoms'." He furrowed his eyebrows. "That doesn't sound pleasant. 'Evolving in intensity, the symptoms appeared as follows; Extreme lightheadedness, body weakness, difficulty breathing, delirium, internal bleeding, and eventually resulting in death.'"

He lowered the paper for a moment, glancing at Spock. "Internal bleeding? Bleeding where? And from what? People generally don't just start bleeding unless there's some physical trauma, y'know."

"I do not know why," the Vulcan responded carefully.

Without really listening, Leonard continued on, "And the delirium, it must be because of the blood loss. The bond hadn't been broken at this point. So their order is wrong. But why did they start bleeding?" He realized he was repeating himself, but the mystery of it was something that needed solving if they were going to get anywhere.

"Doctor," Spock cut in, giving him a pointed look. "These symptoms, can you recognize any meaning?"

Leonard placed everything back on the table and ran a hand down one side of his face, thinking. Slowly, he shook his head. "Sure, in some other species. But the Praublents, I know nothing about them. They could display illness or injury in completely different ways that a human would. I'd need to know more about their body composition and whatever DNA they might have. This is apparently happening through a bond. You don't know why?"

"I have little experience with a bond that can cause damage that goes beyond mental."

"So the bleeding is weird, but the delirium and other shit isn't?" Leonard asked roughly.

"It is uncommon, but a mind meld can have dangerous consequences," Spock said, with a very matter-of-fact tone. "If performed incorrectly, or removed incorrectly, that is."

"Well that's just great," he mutter sarcastically in reply. "So our main problem is the bleeding then."

"Yes," Spock mused, turning back to the papers with what looked to be renewed interest. Leonard, for his part, simply frowned at the ground before his feet, lost in thought.

Apparently, the reasoning behind the mental issues was easy enough to understand. For now, at least. Mental bonds breaking caused mental problems. Later, they could find a reason for the breaking, but right now he just needed to know what was causing the bleeding. He didn't know much about the Praublent's form of bonding. It was almost hilarious, considering that he now had a soulmark of his own, and could possibly enter a bond as well. Mind, body, and soul. It was a lot to ask one person to give.

"Mind, body, soul," he murmured slowly, feeling on the verge of a breakthrough. "Spock!" he suddenly called, having found the idea he was looking for.

The Vulcan looked up curiously. "Doctor?"

"You said that mind melds could cause mental problems and all that, right?" At the nod he received, he continued, "Well, the Praublents' bonds link their minds, bodies, and souls." 

"You are saying that the links are all different."

That guy never failed to catch on quickly enough. "Yes, right! So, if each part is considered different, one breaking would obviously have different symptoms from another. Internal bleeding. The mind part breaking wouldn't do a damn thing to a physical body."

"But if the body part of the bond were to be broken, then it could," Spock finished for him.

"Exactly. So they have to be considered as entirely separate. Multiple ties binding two together, right down to their very souls, breaking at different times and showing different symptoms."

"How fascinating, Doctor." His voice almost sounded far away, like he was mostly focused on something in his own mind, not their conversation.

"But what's causing them to break? That's what we don't know," Leonard mused, his voice betraying a bit of the frustration he was feeling. He knew that there wasn't any information about that in those records. Unfortunately, the Praublents seemed to have limited medical knowledge, and had no information besides what they could simply see.

"The Praublents seem to believe it is something in the bite of their monsters," Spock said, still focused on something that the Doctor couldn't see. It was... irritating, but he tried to ignore the nagging thoughts that were telling him to draw that attention back to himself.

"But there's no proof of that," he argued.

"No, there's not. And at the moment we have no way to find any."

"Do you think something will happen once nighttime comes around?" Leonard questioned, worried about the possibility. They had nothing to prevent the attacks. Not to mention, he and Spock were now facing the same problem themselves.

"It is likely, although it would certainly be better if nothing did."

"But, nothing happening only means we can't figure this out."

"It is posing a problem."

So they were agreed that they had reached something of an impasse. With no data, a solution couldn't be reached. They weren't miracle workers.

"We are at a risk too, Spock," Leonard said, a bit quietly after a moment of silence, making an impromptu decision to broach the topic of their marks once again.

"Depending on what these 'monsters' desire, Leonard, we are all at risk."

The use of his first name in such a _casual_ situation, and in an easy tone threw him off. He wasn't really sure how he felt about it. Did he like it, or not? Maybe it was meant to be used as a distraction so he wouldn't notice the evasion. It wasn't working.

"Fine. We put two other people at risk now because of our marks." He knew that the Vulcan was aware of what he was referring to. What he didn't understand was why he was attempting to avoid it.

Spock was silent for a few moments, and his expression was entirely unreadable. Leonard had a nagging feeling that it was on purpose, although he wasn't sure why. "Then we will have to be careful," was the response he finally received. 

"We'd be better off going back to the ship." 

"I do not think it would be wise to leave the planet now. The Praublents wouldn't think well of it."

Leonard frowned slightly. He'd feel much better if at least Spock agreed to go back to the Enterprise. Not only was he risking his own life - which was bad enough in Leonard's eyes - but he was also risking the life of whoever his soulmate happened to be.

"Besides, Doctor, our bonds have not been fully formed. We have not met our soulmates yet. There is no evidence that proves we would be in any more danger than the other crew members."

The pang in his chest at Spock's claim that they hadn't met their intendeds yet was so surprising that he almost gasped in shock. Leonard had to remind himself that the Vulcan had no way of knowing, or any reason to know, that they had actually met long ago. He ignored his slightly increased heart rate, and focused solely on the conversation, rather than the emotional effect it had on him.

"Well, I guess that is true. There's no proof for your claim either, though," Leonard said, hoping his tone was even, and didn't betray any of his emotional struggles.

"Then my previous statement stands. We will have to be careful."

He had to agree there. If they weren't going back to the ship, then caution was their only option. "Should we tell them what we've found then? There isn't a damn thing left to read anymore. Might as well let them know."

"Yes. And we can see how the meeting is going as well."

Right, the meeting. He'd somehow managed to forget that one was going on while he was here with Spock. The aching feeling was back, and it only intensified when Leonard looked at the recipient of his... _feelings_ , so he kept his gaze elsewhere in the room. At least the majority of the time spent here, there'd been work to keep his mind occupied. But now, with nothing to do, his long hidden emotions were wanting to bubble over. He wondered if that had something to do with the bond. Maybe it was making everything more intense somehow.

"Leonard?"

Spock calling his name jolted the Doctor out of his thoughts, and he looked over in confusion. The Vulcan was standing closer than he had been before, and he would have taken a step backwards if he hadn't been practically frozen in place. "Huh? What?"

"You were not responding. Are you alright?"

"I wasn't? Oh well, just lost in thought. Nothing to worry about," he said with a confident tone built atop his lies. It was certainly something to be concerned about. 

If he were to be completely honest, he hadn't given a damn about Spock when they'd first met. In fact, he'd very much disliked him. It sounded harsh, but was true just the same. They'd been acquaintances and crew mates for a long time before their mutual friendship with Jim had brought them into a rocky friendship of their own. And maybe those feeling had grown into something stronger, and far more romantic overtime, but he'd secretly harbored them without a second thought. He hadn't even acknowledged them himself. The fact that everything was coming to the surface now was more than a little overwhelming. He didn't know how to control himself or his emotions around the Vulcan anymore.

"Are you sure?"

Leonard gave a roll of his eyes and a small, lopsided grin that was meant to reassure, and make the topic drop. "'Course, Spock. Don't be such a worrywart." 

Spock didn't look like he believed a word of it, but he wasn't given a chance to respond. Looking for a quick escape, Leonard turned and walked to the door, opening it to leave. "Are you coming?" He asked, turning to look at the Vulcan. There was something of a concerned expression on his face, and Leonard immediately regretted stopping. His heart was acting funny again. 

"I am." Spock finally said, grabbing the papers that had held pertinent information, before swiftly following.

As they walked together through the corridors, Leonard occasionally caught glances cast his way. He couldn't help but to get the feeling that Spock was trying to figure something out. It was one of the times where he was damn thankful that Vulcans were only touch telepaths. Otherwise, he would have immediately been found out, as his mind was practically overtaken by Spock himself. 

Thank God for small miracles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses about the lateness of this chapter. Apologies.  
> Please enjoy <33


	9. Emotions Conflicting

As they walked through the halls together, Leonard once again found himself lost to a train of thought that had far too much to do with the Vulcan next to him. It was a curious thing. Before coming to this planet, he hadn't considered his feelings for Spock as anything out of the ordinary, or special. But now with a mark on his neck, it seemed to be all that he could concentrate on.

Feelings were an odd thing, and he didn't consider himself to be very good at them. In fact, Spock seemed to be doing better than him, having captured the attention of Uhura, and earned her romantic interest. Of course, there was no telling how well that was going now, with their recent silence on the matter. But even so, he'd been in a lasting relationship for a few years, which is much more than Leonard could claim to have done ever since leaving Georgia.

"Doctor?"

At the inquiry, Leonard halted his steps and looked over, to find Spock staring at him with a strange expression again. "Yes?" he asked, raising his eyebrows curiously.

"May I ask you about a... personal matter?" His hands were clasped behind his back, and he looked - dare Leonard say - nervous. And perhaps a bit embarrassed. Exactly how personal was his question going to be?

Still, he didn't give a negative response, and nodded his head slowly as a signal for Spock to go ahead with his question.

"You do not have to answer if you would rather keep it to yourself, but I was curious about your soulmate mark." 

Well, that wasn't really much of a proper question, although it wasn't quite as personal as he'd feared. He still doubted he'd want to give an answer though. Leonard narrowed his eyes, just slightly. "Are you asking if I know who my soulmate is?"

"That is... part of it, yes." Spock said quietly after a moment. "But I was more curious about your thoughts on having one."

Leonard hummed for a moment, thinking of how he wanted to respond. "Well. It's definitely damn odd, eating a magic plant and suddenly being shown who I'm meant to be with. I can't really say that I'm happy about it. But I guess it might not be a bad thing if I like the person I end up with, and they like me too," he explained slowly, ending his sentence with a small shrug.

"And if you cannot be happy with them?"

"Then I'm shit outta luck, aren't I?" He said with a little huff of bitter humor. "But the point is to be happy, right? Hopefully the universe doesn't hate me enough to put me up with someone who won't want me."

"I think it would be most difficult to find someone who does not like you, Leonard," Spock said almost immediately, with a tone of seriousness that threw the Doctor off. He didn't believe the words at all.

"That's funny," he scoffed. "Y'know, for the longest time, I thought you didn't like me."

"I believe that feeling is mutual."

Leonard grinned slightly, but then shook his head as if to clear the conversation away. There had to have been a point to bringing all of this up. It was definitely unusual for the two of them to have heart to heart talks about their _feelings_. "Why are you asking anyway?"

Squaring his shoulders, Spock somehow managed to stand even taller, and the emotion from when he'd first began to speak was gone from his face. "I was simply curious about how you were handling the situation."

Leonard raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "That sounds like a lie, Spock. I thought Vulcan couldn't lie."

"I am not lying, Doctor."

"Are you sure you didn't just want to know who my soulmate was? You said that was part of it, yeah?"

"I also said that you did not have to tell me unless you wished to."

Well, he certainly didn't want to tell him. Leonard knew exactly who had been made his soulmate, and they were standing right before him. Even if he had the confidence or the courage to let Spock know, he wouldn't have any idea how. And it really wasn't a conversation he wanted to have while standing in the middle of the hallway, either. Solving the Praublent's problem was more important right now, anyway, since their lives were at risk.

"You're right. I think I'll keep it to myself."

"As you wish, Doctor. I do not want to pry," the Vulcan said, apparently deciding that their talk was over as he turned and began walking again.

"What about you, huh? Do you know who's on the other end of your soulmate bond?" Leonard questioned, keeping pace beside the other man. He was aware that he'd refused to answer the question posed to him, but there was no harm in trying to see if Spock would do the same.

There was a few moments where the halls were filled with nothing but the sound of their footsteps. Then, "I do not believe I do."

That answer affected Leonard more than he ever thought it would. He didn't know if it had something to do with his mark, or it was just his own overrun emotions, but his heart suddenly felt crushed. Of course it wouldn't be him. He wasn't lucky enough to ever have things go his way when it came to romance. What would Spock ever see in him? Obviously even the universe thought they wouldn't ever work out. Someone better was meant for Spock, and Leonard was left behind to watch him flourish with someone else. Typical. He wasn't meant for love.

But Spock was still there next to him, waiting for a response. Leonard cleared his throat quietly, and tried to bottle everything up as best as he could. "So it isn't Uhura, then?"

"I cannot be sure. She has not seen it yet."

Well, it really wasn't something he should keep from her. "But you don't think so? You don't feel like it's meant to be about her?"

Spock sighed. "No."

"Well don't you think you should let her know? It's not polite to lead a lady on, Spock."

"I am considering how. We have not been... speaking as much recently."

Ha. He should tell Leonard something he didn't know. But at least now, his personal experiences and failures were good for something. "All the more reason to sit down and actually talk about it. You're letting it pile up. Before too long, it'll explode. And I'm sure your girlfriend would like to know if she was your soulmate or not."

"It is... more difficult than you make it sound," Spock said, his tone easily revealing that he was uncomfortable.

The sound of it actually managed to make the Doctor laugh. "Yeah, I know," he chuckled. "Surely you can manage to have a serious discussion with your girlfriend though, right?"

The Vulcan simply raised an eyebrow, like the question had offended him somehow. 

"I think she'll understand, Spock," he continued, pretending he hadn't seen the expression at all. It seemed to Leonard as though he was much more worried than he lead on. "She knows that you can't force something that isn't there."

"Perhaps you are right. Thank you for your advice, Doctor," were the final words he received before Spock began to walk down the hall again.

Leonard didn't think he'd given much advice at all. Certainly not enough to be thanked for it. Still, he accepted it with a gladness in his heart that he wasn't prepared for.

Their walk began again in silence, and he tried to find something pleasant to think of to fill it. Unfortunately, he could only seem to focus on the fact that Spock had no idea who his soulmate was. It was depressing, because Leonard knew that it couldn't be him. They'd known each other for years. His own mark was easily recognizable, and his emotions told the tale for him. If the Vulcan had a mark for him, surely he'd know it.

But he couldn't force someone to feel anything. He couldn't make Spock like him. Couldn't make him _love_ him. Leonard would be left behind, but he it wasn't like he hadn't become used to that already. He was the Doctor, hidden away in the sickbay. Jim and Spock shined before him, and he was the shadow that followed along, always patching them up so that no one would see them falter. It wasn't a job for the faint of heart.

Leonard knew that he was ruined already. He was jaded, rough around the edges, and bitter. He lied, drank away his problems, and spent far more time in his office than anywhere else on the Enterprise. And now he was keeping the truth from his soulmate. A truth that would affect them both. 

He didn't deserve Spock, he knew. He had hoped, upon seeing the mark - even though he'd denied it at first - that maybe it was a sign that he could be a bit happier. But of course, he'd been wrong.

He carried his depressing mood all the way back into the main dining hall, where the meeting appeared to be very lax. It seemed as though nobody was saying anything constructive that might have advanced the pace a bit. Perhaps they were all waiting to see what had been found out about the Praublents' deaths.

The doors had creaked quietly upon being opened, so everyone was now looking their way. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Spock straighten his back before stepping forward.

"Spock," Jim said in greeting when the Vulcan approached him. "Give us some good news."

"We did not find much, Captain," he said in reply, which made Jim frown, just a little.

"Well, what did you find?"

"We discovered, what we believe, to be a very interesting fact about how the bonds are formed. It could have an effect on how they are being broken as well."

"What is it that you have found?" Salvana asked, their voice calling the attention of the entire hall.

"I will leave that for Doctor McCoy to explain, as he was the one to discover the information."

Leonard didn't have much time to toss Spock the surprised look he would have been wearing, as everyone was now looking directly at him. He cleared his throat lightly, stepping forward so that he was closer to the table. "You've said that Praublents' bonds are formed between the mind body and soul. While I was looking through the records about the attacks, I noticed that the symptoms seemed... off."

"Off how, Doctor?" Salvana inquired.

"Well, based on the descriptions, I realized that the symptoms weren't normal to mental bonds and links." At that, he looked over to Spock for confirmation. He was, after all, the most experienced of their crew in that department.

"Normally only mental damage occurs to those who experience a break in a bond."

Yes, right. They could die, but it wouldn't occur in the form of internal bleeding, like what has happened here."

"The ones having their bonds broken are bleeding internally?" Jim asked, surprised. "Why?"

"See, I wondered that too. That's why I thought about it a little, and realized that a mental bond wasn't the one causing that bit of damage."

"What are you saying, Doctor?" The Praublent seemed shocked.

"I believe your bonds create three separate links between soulmates, rather than one, like I'd previously thought." Leonard explained.

"Three separate bonds?" Jim repeated, almost sounding awed. He could understand that feeling, though. It was certainly like nothing they'd ever come into contact with before. Ignoring him though, Leonard continued on.

"How much do you and your people understand about what makes up your bonds?" He asked Salvana, his tone blank and emotionless, quite similar to whenever he took part in a medical conference. He didn't want to offend the leader by asking something that might seem rude to them.

Luckily, it didn't seem to be taken that way. "We do not know much. It is something we view as divine, and to question the divine is wrong." There was a pause. "However, I suppose that having three bonds between destined mates does not seem odd. The bond is meant to tie very deeply, after all."

Leonard nodded in understanding, although the answer wasn't very helpful to figuring anything out. However, the thought stuck in his mind. _Deep ties..._ He imagined that it must be unbearably painful to lose a soulmate. It was something he didn't want to experience. Almost subconsciously, he glanced over at Spock.

Shockingly, the Vulcan turned to look right back at him. "Doctor McCoy," he began, not looking away for a few moments, "believes that the bonds are breaking at separate times, causing different symptoms with each break."

"It's the exact reason for them breaking that we can't figure out," Leonard continued, looking away from Spock, his expression softer than he ever wanted it to be in front of this many people. What was wrong with him?

"Does it have something to do with the monsters?" Jim asked.

"It could..." he mused in reply. "There just isn't enough information to figure it out."

"We were promised a solution to this problem," Salvana interrupted, their tone a bit harsh.

"And a solution you will get. We just need time to figure one out," Jim insisted, his tone sharp enough to match. 

Leonard and Spock both nodded in agreement. "Yes," the Vulcan said. "Given more time, we could find a resolution to your problem."

"We do not have time," Salvana insisted. "Night is almost upon us."

At this, Leonard couldn't stop the feeling of dread that seemed to start in his toes, seeping up to overtaken his entire body. What was he so afraid of? The monsters, or what they could do to him? What they could do to _Spock_?

"We will help you and your people, Salvana," Jim said with the true authority of a Captain. It was reassuring to hear his friend sounding so sure, although his fear didn't dissipate. Was Spock feeling the same way?

With those simple words, the intense atmosphere that had been growing in the hall disappeared. "I hope so," were the Praublents' leader's only words on the matter. "We will reconvene this treaty meeting after nightfall had passed. The safety of my people, and of yours must be ensured."

Leonard could sense the irritation, and knew that the crew would rather finish this now, rather than waiting another day, but they had agreed to the terms set before them. They had to find a solution to the 'monster' problem. The only thing they could do was accept.

Everyone appeared to be standing to leave, but Spock and Leonard were both halted when Utseas stopped before them. "Leader Salvana would like the both of you to remain on hand when night falls. You are both experienced in medical care, yes?"

"I am a scientist, not a doctor," was the Vulcan's simple reply, but Leonard shook his head.

"I am, and he can help me. What is our help needed for?" he asked, wanting to be prepared.

"More attacks are expected. It happens every night, no matter what we try. We would like you to be there to help. Perhaps you can save them."

Leonard doubted that was possible. It was outside his realm of knowledge. A Doctor was most likely useless against invisible bonds that were breaking between two people. Spock would probably be more helpful in that situation. Still, he nodded. He needed to try. "We'll do our best."

Seeming pleased with the answer, Utseas nodded and turned to leave. Leonard sighed, once he was sure it wouldn't be heard by them. "Damn..."

"Doctor? Are you alright?"

It seemed as though Spock had asked that question too many times today. "I don't think I'll be much help to them... I can try my best, but if the bonds are binding them so closely, I'd probably only be slowing down the inevitable." It was a dreary, damaging way to think.

"Once we discover the cause, we might be able to stop their deaths," Spock said, his tone surprisingly reassuring. What was even more surprising though, was how quickly Leonard relaxed after hearing it.

"You're right..." he muttered.

There was a moment of quiet before Spock's voice broke it. "I believe I will go talk with Nyota before our assistance is required."

Leonard looked at him curiously. "Yeah? Good, that's.. good. You really should. Just be honest with her."

"I will. Thank you, Leonard." And with that, he turned and was gone.

"Damn," he said once again. He reached up to rub at his collarbone for a few moments, lost in thought. He needed to be honest with Spock as well, but still couldn't think up a situation where it would end well. He was a coward. A coward who was too afraid to admit to his feelings and go after what he wanted.

With a sigh, he dropped his hand and turned to leave. He needed to see where the Praublents took care of their sick. The more familiar he became with the area, the better he'd be able to work when his help was needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have arrived to deliver the angst!   
> This chapter was really fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it <33
> 
> As always, this hasn't been beta read. If you see any mistakes that I missed, feel free to politely point them out c:

**Author's Note:**

> Please follow me on tumblr at aykimra.tumblr.com, or my personal blog at Double00Mogar.tumblr.com  
> We can gush about Star Trek together! <33


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